Campo Benfeito is located in Castro Daire’s parish of Gosende. Campo Benfeito, located in the midst of the Montemuro mountain range, is a really unique natural landscape worth savouring! Nature meets culture in a way that is typified by the rurality of a village that has long been tied to agriculture. The community, which is surrounded by the Montemuro mountain range, continues to live according to the customs it acquired from the past. A visible heritage in the design of the traditional homes constructed of local granite.
The location merits a long walk through the village, where you can enjoy the friendliness of the people of Campo Benfeito, passing by the viewpoint, where you can admire the pillory, but also by the streams, where the waters are clear and crystalline, and, on hot days, enjoy the refreshing shade of oaks and alders. The traditional mountain windmills, built-in granite and covered in thatch, are a must-see local ex-libris. This is also a culturally rich village: professional theatre performances are presented here on a regular basis, and the Altitudes Festival, which hosts the Serra do Montemuro Regional Theater Center of the Fôjo Cultural, Sports, and Recreational Association, takes place every year.
The characteristics of the town provide the materials for the local handicrafts that you may enjoy here: linen and burel work, needlework, and basketry are the most typical goods available at the Casa das Capuchinhas workshop and store.
What to do in Campo Benfeito
- Get to know the people: it’s really worth getting lost in the streets of Campo Benfeito, talking to the residents, showing genuine interest in village life, socializing and sharing experiences.
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Discover the work of the Capuchins: In the village’s old primary school., you will not only watch the preservation of traditional art in person, but also be able to buy gorgeous pieces of clothing in burel, linen, and wool, woven on a handmade loom but with contemporary design, and thus contribute to the financial independence of these mountain women.
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Watch a theatre play: During the summer, Teatro do Montemuro hosts the Altitudes Festival, which fills the town with artists and radically alters the ambience of Campo Benfeito. But even outside of that period, it’s worth going to watch a show – if it’s on! – or to a rehearsal, chat to the company’s crew, and take in some of the energy and inspiration of individuals who keep a theatre company working in an isolated and a priori implausible place like Campo Benfeito.
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Do the Carvalho’s Hike (PR3 Castro Daire): The so-called “Oaks Hike.” is a 7.5-kilometre-long circular walk that begins in Campo Benfeito and passes via the villages of Codeçal, Gosende, and Cotelo. It’s not challenging, and it gives you the opportunity to get to know the surrounding villages.
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Folgosa river beach: The river beach of Folgosa is located in the district of Castro Daire, on the right bank of the Paiva River, less than a half-hour trip (by car) from Campo Benfeito.
There are no restaurants in Campo Benfeito. You will find a Restaurant called O Corvo, located 7 kilometres from Campo Benfeito in the neighbouring village of Picão. It’s one of those typical eateries that are modest and comfortable.
