Though small in both geographical size and resident population, the municipality of Vila Velha de Ródão is exceptionally rich in natural, cultural and historical heritage.
It is a welcoming and open-hearted land, known for receiving visitors with warmth, and for its solidarity and care towards its residents — striving always to provide the best possible quality of life.
Ródão Castle (Castle of King Wamba)
Standing dramatically on a cliff above the River Tagus, overlooking the Portas de Ródão, the Castle of King Wamba occupies a site of both breathtaking beauty and strategic importance.
Believed to have originated during the Muslim occupation, the castle is linked to the 1199 donation of the territory of Açafa by King Sancho I to the Order of the Temple. Oral tradition attributes the site to King Wamba, a Visigoth monarch.
The watchtower that remains today is thought to have been built between the 12th and 13th centuries under the guidance of the Templars. Nearby, visitors can also find the Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Castelo.
Portas de Ródão (The Gates of Ródão)
A striking natural landmark and symbol of the region, the Portas de Ródão are a geological formation carved by the River Tagus on both sides of the riverbanks — spanning the municipalities of Vila Velha de Ródão and Nisa.
This dramatic gorge, created by the river cutting through the quartzite ridge of Serra do Perdigão, forms a narrow passage only 45 metres wide.
Far more than just a geographical feature, the Portas de Ródão embody the identity and soul of the local community — standing as a monument of natural grandeur and regional pride.
Lagar de Varas
Located northeast of the Cabeço das Pesqueiras neighbourhood, on the left bank of the Enxarrique stream, near the River Tagus, the Lagar de Varas stands as a key element in the region’s olive oil heritage.
This traditional olive press is presented within a territorial narrative, connecting it to the broader olive oil legacy of the municipality — from the olive groves and their various harvest stages, to historic and modern pressing technologies still in use today. It offers visitors a rare opportunity to explore both the ancestral and contemporary worlds of olive oil production in Vila Velha de Ródão.
Tagus Valley Rock Art Complex
The Rock Art Complex of the Tagus Valley is one of the most significant post-Palaeolithic rock art collections in Europe, comprising over 20,000 engravings spread along 40 kilometres on both banks of the River Tagus.
The Interpretation Centre for Tagus Valley Rock Art (CIART), inaugurated in 2012, is dedicated to the study and preservation of this exceptional archaeological heritage. Through a permanent exhibition, visitors can explore the symbolic and cultural expressions of the prehistoric communities who once inhabited the Tagus Valley.
Message from the Mayor
Luís Miguel Ferro Pereira
In recent years, Portugal has increasingly asserted itself on the international stage as a world-class tourism destination and a country with a deep-rooted winemaking tradition.
In 2019, for the third consecutive year, we were recognised by the World Travel Awards as the World’s Leading Destination, while our wines continue to receive numerous awards and distinctions in international competitions.
According to Turismo de Portugal, around 2.5 million tourists now travel to Portugal each year for wine-related experiences — a number that led the national tourism board to designate wine tourism as a priority for sector development, creating targeted programmes to support and strengthen this activity in a strategy that combines the promotion of tourism and wine.
Though perhaps less widely known to the public than other demarcated regions, the Beira Interior Wine Region has been making a name for itself nationally, thanks to a growing number of producers and the variety and quality of its wines — earning comparisons to “a sleeping giant awakening.”
The creation of the Beira Interior Wine Route responds directly to the challenge of promoting this wine region nationally and internationally, helping to position it as a destination for wine tourism and a territory of significant landscape, historical and cultural value.
By combining tourism and wine, the route aims not only to enrich the traditional tourism offer, but also to present Beira Interior wines as premium products, while valuing inland regions and their rural heritage, helping to highlight and preserve their distinctive identity.
The Beira Interior Wine Route is therefore more than just a path through vineyards — it is a gateway to exploring the entire region through year-round tourism, regional gastronomy, and a complementary offer that builds upon the area’s already celebrated scenery, historical villages and unique cultural character.
