The Cascata do Rio Homem, better known as the Portela do Homem Waterfall, is my most striking childhood memory of the Peneda-Gerês Natural Park. I still remember the first time I visited that place with blue-green waters.
It is perhaps the most sought after waterfall in the whole Park, and the influx of tourists in the summer proves it.
This waterfall is located two kilometers from Portela do Homem, a mountain pass over the Portugal-Spain border at an altitude of 822 meters, in a gorge that goes down to Galicia.
To get there, from Caldas do Gerês, you must follow towards the border of Portela do Homem. The place is not only worth the waterfall and lagoons, but also for all the beauty of Mata da Albergaria that accompanies the journey there.
In the summer it is not usually allowed to park vehicles next to the access bridge to the waterfall and it is obligatory to go up to the parking lot and then down, on foot, until you find the access bridge to the waterfall again.
The crystalline waters, coming from the Rio Homem, form several lagoons of limpid, pure and deep waters that are often only seen in movies, and where only the bravest dive from the rocks around them.
This is undoubtedly a mandatory stop, and I would almost say that it is a crime to leave your swimsuit at home.
Location of Portela do Homem Waterfall
Google Maps Coordinates: 41.80359, -8.12824 | Cascata da Portela do Homem on Google Maps
GPS Coordinates: 41° 48′ 12.9″ N 8° 07′ 41.7″ W
Pesquisar Alojamento no Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês
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