Santa Cruz (Geira)
Caminho da Geira e dos Arrieiros
Santa Cruz contains the first of many Roman milestones on the Geira — your first tangible encounter with the ancient Via XVIII that you'll be following into the mountains. Turn left shortly after the milestone and the asphalt ends, giving way to dirt paths interspersed with Roman stones that continue through beautiful forest all the way to Covide. This is where the Geira begins to feel truly special.
The Roman milestones along the Geira mark the ancient Via XVIII, one of the main Roman roads connecting Bracara Augusta (Braga) to Asturica Augusta (Astorga). Built in the 1st century AD, the road crossed the mountains through what is now the Peneda-Gerês National Park. The milestones you'll see from here onward are among the best-preserved collections of Roman road markers in the Iberian Peninsula.
About 2.2 km after Santa Cruz, there's a fork. The left path is for Terras de Bouro, indicated by a yellow "TB" painted on a tree — this is the official track, but if you're not staying overnight in Terras de Bouro, there's no reason to take it. The right path has less elevation change, follows the Geira past Roman milestones, and is waymarked. After 6.5 km it rejoins the Terras de Bouro route.