Serra da Gardunha

The Gardunha - the name is usually traced to an Arabic word for refuge - rises to 1,223 metres at Pirâmide between Fundão and Castelo Branco, granite and schist with chestnut and oak on the higher ground, and its northern slopes are given over to cherries. The Cereja do Fundão has protected status and the orchards run across the hillsides around Alcongosta, Alcaide and Souto da Casa, so for about two weeks in late March the whole flank is white with blossom and in June the same slopes are picked, with roadside stalls selling by the kilo and a cherry festival in Fundão. Above the orchards are walking trails, granite boulders, viewpoints over the Cova da Beira towards the Estrela, and the village of Castelo Novo, a schist and granite settlement with a castle, on the southern side. The blossom window is short and moves with the weather, so timing it needs local information rather than a calendar.

The landscape

• The blossom - white cherry orchards across the northern slopes for about two weeks in late March.
• The harvest - roadside selling and a Fundão festival in June.
• The upper range - granite boulders, chestnut and oak, with trails to 1,223 metres.
• Castelo Novo - a stone village with a castle on the southern flank.

When to go

Late March for blossom, June for cherries; the blossom window is short and shifts by a week or two each year. A day.

Good to know

Blossom timing is unpredictable - arriving a week wrong means bare trees. Orchard roads are narrow and busy in both seasons. These are working farms; stay on public roads and paths. Summer heat in the Cova da Beira is severe.

Nearby

Fundão is below the northern slopes; Castelo Novo is on the southern side.

Key facts