Serra da Estrela

Coordinates: 40°19′18.72″N 7°36′46.68″W / 40.3218667°N 7.6129667°W / 40.3218667; -7.6129667
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Serra da Estrela
A snow-covered Serra da Estrela in January
Highest point
PeakTorre
Elevation1,993 m (6,539 ft)
Coordinates40°19′18.72″N 7°36′46.68″W / 40.3218667°N 7.6129667°W / 40.3218667; -7.6129667
Geography
Serra da Estrela is located in Portugal
Serra da Estrela
Serra da Estrela
Location in Portugal
CountryPortugal
Parent rangeSistema Central
Geology
Type of rockGranite

Serra da Estrela (Portuguese pronunciation:

mainland Portugal's highest point at 1,993 metres (6,539 feet) above mean sea level (although the summit of Mount Pico in the Portuguese Azores islands is higher). This point is not a distinctive mountain summit, but rather the highest point in a plateau, being known as Torre ("Tower" in English). Torre is an unusual summit in that it is accessible by a paved road. The peak has a topographic prominence of 1,204 m (3,950 ft) and its parent peak is Pico Almanzor, in Spain.[1]

The mountain range, situated between the municipalities of

Guarda and Covilhã, is about 100 kilometres (60 miles) long and is 30 km (19 mi) across at its widest point. It is formed from a huge granite
ridge that once formed the southern frontier of the country.

Rivers

Dome of an old radar station in the highest point of Estrela Mountain on a winter's day.
Image of Our Lady of the Good Star.

There are three rivers that have their headwaters in the Serra da Estrela: the

Alva
also has its headwaters in the range. It is 1,691 m (5,548 ft) high.

Nature park

The mountain range is now part of the

Seia Municipality
.

Serra da Estrela dog

The

Cão da Serra da Estrela (Estrela Mountain Dog) is a breed of livestock guardian dog
that takes its name from this region.

Serra da Estrela sheep and cheese

Queijo Serra da Estrela (Serra da Estrela cheese) is a soft cheese from the region of Serra da Estrela. The recipe is more than 2000 years old. It is made from cardoon thistle, raw sheep's milk and salt. The cheese is soft and gooey. The cheese becomes harder and chewier as time goes by.[2]
The region's ancient bordaleira sheep are also prized for their wool.

Cuisine

The region's cuisine is well-regarded and includes dishes such as breaded sweet

kosher certification for some products.[3]

Conchos dam

40°21′50.1″N 7°36′39.3″W / 40.363917°N 7.610917°W / 40.363917; -7.610917

The Serra da Estrela is also home to a hydroelectric system of dams, part of which is the Covão dos Conchos. The Covão dos Conchos looks like a natural sinkhole within the lake at first glance, but it was constructed as a spillway in 1955 and acts as a water diversion from Ribeira das Naves to Lagoa Comprida.

History, legends and myths

A legend associated with the mountain is mentioned in chapter 41 of the American literary classic, Moby-Dick:

"... the prodigies related in old times of the inland Strello mountain in Portugal (near whose top there was said to be a lake in which the wrecks of ships floated up to the surface)..."

megaliths in the Mondego River basin were predominantly built with an alignment that allowed the mountain range to be seen from within the inner chamber. At the same time the rise of Aldebaran, the brightest star of Taurus, behind the mountains could also be seen and its Heliacal rising in late April/early May could have been used as a temporal marker for the movement to the high pastures of Serra da Estrela. This archaeological narrative closely mirrors the local folklore that explains the name of the mountain range.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ Prominence ladder from Serra da Estrela, site:Peakbagger.com
  2. ^ "Archived copy". www.artisanalcheese.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ Why food makers in Portugal are going kosher, Jewish Telegraphic Agency. December 19, 2017
  4. doi:10.5334/pia.405
    .

External links

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