Route of the Coffee Smuggling

During the dictatorship, the coffee produced in Portugal could not be sold in Spain and, therefore, it was decreed that any attempt to sell it there would be punished with prison sentences. For those who made their living from selling coffee, they found a way of smuggling it into the neighbouring country, escaping the close watch of the guards and carabinieri that patrolled the border.
From Marvão and the neighbouring villages, where at the time there were half a dozen roasting plants in activity, groups of brave men would set off at night in the direction of La Fontañera with sacks of raw coffee on their backs. From Spain, they brought money (lots of it) and all sorts of products that could be sold in the villages - cloth, porcelain and even Coca-Cola.
Time has passed and today what is known as the "Coffee Smuggling Trail" in the Alto Alentejo has become a tourist trail, organised by the Marvão City Council in May, with reenactments and testimonies from those who lived through these adventures.
Besides the historical aspect, this route also has a strong landscape and natural impact.
On a 13Km route, of irregular relief, the cork-oak cover is interrupted by granite outcrops and by still cultivated valleys. The route is made through winding paths and sometimes medieval cobblestone. The views to Marvão Castle are stunning. Part way along the trail we can see the escarpment of Penha da Esparoeira, which is home to colonies of griffon vultures.