You leave Famalicão da Serra between granite boulders and low stone walls. The landscape is bare and open, with plenty of sky and very little shade.
The day revolves around one climb: more than 380 metres up in a single push. It’s steep, and long enough to knock you out of your rhythm. After that, the road keeps rising. The last kilometres to Guarda climb to over 1,000 metres: Guarda is the highest city in Portugal. You’ll feel it in the wind and the cool air, even if it was still warm earlier in the day.
Take the climb at your own pace. That way you’ll still have the energy for a drink on a terrace in Guarda.