With mountain and agricultural landscapes, destinations and natural areas, riverside natural areas, protected reserves, river beaches in Portugal are “12” increasingly sought after by fans of Tourism A. Proof of this is from March 7 to December 31 of last year , such as Structures for Permanent Animation of the Historic Villages of Portugal, which includes the accountants of the GR22 – Grande Rota das Aldeias Históricas de Portugal and Small Route Historic Paths (PR), registered more than 105 thousand passages, between bicycle and walking tours .
On the GR22 – Grande Rota das Aldeias Históricas de Portugal, from March to December 2021, there were more than 61 thousand passages on foot, and almost 5 thousand by bicycle. In the Historical Ways of the Small Route (PR), there were almost 40 thousand passages.
Numbers that justify the compromise that, in recent years, the Historical Villages of Portugal – Associação de Desenvolvimento Turístico have created and qualified tourist resources in the creation and tourism resources, without the scope of Active and Nature Tourism. The GR22 – Grande Rota das Aldeias Históricas de Portugal is part of this, due to the investment it has benefited from in terms of interpretive, informative and orienting signage, but also of the traced route, oriented towards the passage, for example, with points of relevance and offer of services. An effort that was recognized in 2019 with the delivery of the seal Leading quality rails – The best in Europe, by the European Ramblers Association, thus making the GR22 the largest European route with the Top quality trails.
Smooth mobility and the most important are the main strategic axes of Aldeias Históricas de Portugal – Associação de Desenvolvimento Turístico, due to the importance that preserves the promotion of sustainable tourism in the importance and development of the territory. The more than 105 thousand passages registered by the Permanent Animation Structures, between March and December 2021, prove the potential of Active and Nature Tourism for the economic growth of the Historic Villages of Portugal.
Thanks to the data obtained through the monitoring system applied to the Permanent Entertainment Structures, Aldeias Históricas de Portugal – Associação de Desenvolvimento Turístico have to plan and better define their action plans, namely in the specialization of the offer of Active and Nature Tourism, as well as as well as access and complementary services.
In times of a pandemic, Active and Nature Tourism is increasingly a trend for the whole world – and as the numbers of the Permanent Animation Structures counters prove, the Historic Villages of Portugal, surrounded by nature in its purest state, are increasingly increasingly sought after by adventurers. It is also worth remembering the unparalleled offer of historical and cultural heritage, leisure, gastronomy, wines, rural tourism, hotels and spas of superior quality. In other words, a unique and inexhaustible tourist potential.

About the Network of Historical Villages of Portugal
Lost between hills and valleys in the green countryside of Portugal, full of legends and castles, flavors and traditions, there are 12 simple villages where you feel like getting lost, never to find yourself again. Almeida, Belmonte, Castelo Mendo, Castelo Novo, Castelo Rodrigo, Idanha-a-Velha, Linhares da Beira, Marialva, Monsanto, Piódão, Sortelha and Trancoso: the Historic Villages of Portugal, a destination of which there are 12, are hidden paradises that In a journey to the time of kings and queens, epic and infinite who write history like history today. Traveling to Historic Portugal is discovering the history of a conquering country through the fear of its walls and castles from its sidewalks, to the walls of walls, to the walled roads, to its sidewalks and imposingly erected its sidewalks. It is also the guarantee of unforgettable moments of leisure, with discovery and seasoning of the flavors of the region, with aromatic adventures in its typical gastronomy. In the territory of the Historical Villages of Portugal there are an endless number of hiking trails and mountain biking routes – such as the Grande Route 22 (GR), the longest Walking & Cycling route in Portugal, with around 600 km.
The Historical Villages of Portugal, the first networked destination on a global scale – the first national destination to receive – are published, the BIOSPHERE DESTINATION.
The Grande Rota das Aldeias Históricas de Portugal (GR22) is the largest European hiking route with the Leading Quality Trails – Best of Europe seal, delivered by the European Ramblers Association.