The road to Alto de Torre-Serra da Estrela, the highest point of Mainland Portugal

# Alto de Torre: Portugal's Sky-High Adventure

Want to touch the roof of mainland Portugal? Alto de Torre is your destination. Sitting pretty at 1,996 meters (6,548 feet), this mountain peak marks the highest point you can drive to on the Portuguese mainland, straddling the line between the Guarda and Castelo Branco districts.

Nestled in the stunning Serra da Estrela Natural Park up in the northeastern corner of the country, this isn't some sketchy mountain track—the entire 50-kilometer (31-mile) route from Seia to Covilhã is fully paved. But don't let that fool you into thinking it's a leisurely cruise. The road gets seriously steep, with gradients hitting 10.4% in places that'll definitely keep your attention.

The summit itself is basically a little mountain village. There's a chapel, a couple of shops, a restaurant to refuel, and these quirky radar domes that give the place a sci-fi vibe. Oh, and there's a historic stone tower right in the middle of the roundabout—a monument King John VI commissioned way back when.

Weather-wise, the road stays open year-round, though winter storms occasionally shut things down. Fair warning: this spot holds the record for Portugal's coldest temperatures. On the flip side, winter turns Serra da Estrela into the country's only skiing destination.

Clear day? Prepare to be blown away. The views stretch all the way to the Atlantic Ocean over 160 kilometers away. And fun fact: only Mount Pico in the Azores sits higher than this—making Alto de Torre the second-most elevated point in all of Portugal.