Exploring the Lines of Torres, history and stuff, and hills

[Pedro]

Spending a few days in Ericeira, and the weather has been so great it almost feels too good to be true. Getting to know the roads around here, I needed a goal to make me see some new stuff, and indeed this was the perfect plan, to follow the forts of the Lines of Torres forces me to see new things and actually learn stuff. Also took plenty of pictures, most are of hills and grass so not really an Indiana Jones film.

After lunch, setting off from Ericeira on a perfect winter afternoon:

 

https://www.rhlt.pt/interactive-map/

Today's ride was along these forts, if you look on the above link you'll see the whole of the lines on a map of the region.

 

A few kms on, about 20 minutes and I reach the first fort, now bare in mind these are not castles with massive walls, just fortifications, you do need to use some imagination to make the best of visiting them.

Forte do Passo, very small with a windmill inside, at the time used as a magazine:

 

To one side you see as far as the ocean:

 

To the other as far as the next fort, which is what these positions were all about:

 

Back on the road for another 10 or 15km:

 

And through a farm track and up a vineyard:

 

The Forte do Grilo (Grilo = Cricket)

 

Stopped right by the surrounding pit

 

Surrounding fields were gorgeous green:

 

As I said, with a little imagination, standing on top of one of these you can really picture what went on, with the basic structures providing cover from what came from below, the openings on the walls with a cannon sticking out, and a good viewing point into the distance:

 

Back out through the farm again, and onto some smooth gravel road for another few kms, little distance but entertaining:

 

Could have taken a normal road, but couldn't resist the uphill gravel road with twisties and chose the slightly longer way:

 

Again through a farm road, if this had been wet I wouldn't have wished to go through here:

 

Not on the oficial map, but showing up on Google maps is Forte do Pelicano (Pelican), took a little dirt detour and found it on the way to Torres Vedras, the biggest and most important town in the area:

 

 

Not maintained at all, you would walk past it without a second glance, and it really takes a little effort to see the flat surface on top of the hill, being covered in thorny bushes I didn't feel like walking around it either:

 

Didn't spend a lot of time there and carried on towards Torres Vedras 

 

You probably don't bother to read these, but it helps me structure things, so here's another poster, of the Fort S. Vicente, in Torres Vedras, this one more like a proper fortress and obviously a lot more important being right on top of a major town:

 

Had a good walk around that, not anyone else visiting any of them today, being a Friday, good stuff!

No more than 1 km away is the Forte dos Olheiros, basically a small one that served as a lookout for the bigger fort picture before. I almost couldn't resist riding in and around inside it but behaved:

 

Next were two places on top of a hill, places I have visited before but still wanted to pass by today as they'd close the ride nicely, and I enjoy the dirt road leading to them. On the way stopped by a deactivated train station in Runa, just for Pete:

 

The tracks still work, though, but the station no longer does.

 

The badges were prizes for winning 3 first places, 1 second place and 1 third place in the Competition for the most Flowery Stations, such an old school Portugal thing to do.

 

Rode on, and climbed a little, and made it to the Forte da Feiteira, just a couple of kms before the Archeira but a cool little place to ride by on a lovely dirt road:

 

 

Quite a bit early for these flowers, I think:

 

And on to the final stop of the day, the Fort da Archeira:

 

Although I didn't take that many pictures, this is where I stopped the longest, just enjoying the view and the breeze

 

Starting to go back home, a mere 40 minute ride so let's make it interesting:

 

Just going back down the mountain via the shortest road, a little steep but perfectly fine as long as it's dry:

 

And then on to Ericeira via country roads, with the sun in my face:

 

Stopped by praia dos Coxos, to see if a surfer friend was there, arriving:

 

I stopped way more often than normal, but the light was just so amazing I couldn't help it:

 

Turns out she wasn't surfing as the waves were non existent, but still it made for a great location to end the report:

 

In all, a great 3 hours riding around the place with way more stops than usual.

[boboneleg]

Absolutely superb Pedro.  Apart from the forts is the area a big wine making region, I can see lots of vines and cultivated land,

[XTreme]

Brilliant @Pedro.......that was exceptional.

Those forts are amazing.......good that they've kept them as a part of history.

Pity you couldn't have got the bike into position with a train coming though......definite BOTM!

[Pedro]

1 hour ago, XTreme said:

Brilliant @Pedro.......that was exceptional.

Those forts are amazing.......good that they've kept them as a part of history.

Pity you couldn't have got the bike into position with a train coming though......definite BOTM!

Thanks!

My bike wouldn’t squeeze through the fence opening, and also I wouldn’t stand around waiting for a train 

[Pedro]

9 hours ago, boboneleg said:

Absolutely superb Pedro.  Apart from the forts is the area a big wine making region, I can see lots of vines and cultivated land,

Historically, this is a big farming region, known for its pears and apples, but vegetables all around too, farming and fishing!
Over the last years, though, wine making has been very encouraged and grapes are taking over many of the hills and farms, it is still a minor wine region for quality and history compared to the Douro, but the industry has indeed exploded.

I don’t care much for this, though, seems that wherever you go in Portugal most of the worked fields are now grapes or olives using intensive farming practices.

[XTreme]

3 minutes ago, Pedro said:

and also I wouldn’t stand around waiting for a train

Just a bit of planning Pedro.......find the time it's due to go through and be there over that period!

But not as effective if you can't get the bike in the shot though.......maybe you could consider pissing over the train as it went past?