Last Updated on 2025-08-07 by Jorge Bastos
Preguiça Trail – PR10 TRB is one of the most well-known and popular trails in Peneda Geres National Park, primarily because it passes through several interesting places, including Leonte and Laja waterfalls, Preguiça lookout, and Preguiça woods. Second, because it’s reasonably short and circular, it’s not too hard.
Lastly, it’s close to Gerês village and on the way to Portela do Homem, the most popular area in the park, making it easily accessible to many travellers. The only issue is the lack of parking spots in the area.
Preguiça trail has several variants, consisting basically of shortcuts to the bigger 5.5km trail. In this post, we will describe the full 5.5km route, explaining where the shortcuts appear so you can choose the one that best fits your needs.
Preguiça trail – general information
- Name: Preguiça trail – PR10 TBR
- Start – Preguiça house
- End – Preguiça house
- Distance – 5.5 km
- Time required – about 2 hours
- Difficulty – moderate
- Max/min altitude: 850/670 meters
- Altitude gain: 370 meters
- Type – Circular
- Signalization (1-5) – 5
- Highlights: Leonte waterfall, Laja Waterfall, Preguiça lookout
- You can download the official map here (in Portuguese)
The Trail
The trail starts next to the Preguiça house, which is one of the old houses of the guards of the national park. Since there is no car park, you will have to park on the roadside, between the house and the viewpoint of the sloth. Note that it is not allowed to park inside the property of the preguiça house.
From the Preguiça House to the viewpoint, it is only 50/100 meters; we suggest you start the trail by going to the viewpoint because when you arrive, you will be tired and possibly less inclined to go there. This is one of the best viewpoints in Gerês, with fabulous views over the valley of the Gerês river and the reservoir of the Caniçada dam.
From this viewpoint, you have to descend back and follow the trail on the left. It is well signposted and even has a sign with general information about the route. There is no way to miss it. The trail begins with a descent for a few meters, followed by a relatively flat section. However, don’t get too comfortable with the flat terrain, as the trail’s most challenging part is just around the corner.
For almost a km, it is always going up, and it goes up a lot. Don’t forget to take pictures! First, because it is beautiful. Second, it is an excellent excuse to catch your breath. Eventually, after crossing a small watercourse, we find the first fork. There you can choose between continuing to go up or turning left and descending. If you decide to descend, you’ll take a shortcut, making the route a little shorter and less challenging. If you continue climbing, you will be rewarded with incredible views over the valley of the Gerês River.
After the viewpoint, the trail starts to descend and continues for about half a kilometer until we reach the main road, cross it, and continue descending until we reach the wooden bridge over the river Geres. During this part of the route, there is an alternative to turn left towards the starting point or continue straight towards the Cascade de Leonte. The next section of the route is linear; that is, when you reach the waterfall, you will have to return the same way to turn at this exact point. So, the decision is whether you go to the Leonte Waterfall or not.
Moving on, the path eventually begins to ascend slightly for about 500 meters. Note that the Leonte Waterfall isn’t that big; it is more of an area of violent rapids than a waterfall itself. In addition, the river dries out completely during drier periods. As we mentioned earlier, after passing the waterfall, we need to go back through the same route and then turn right at the place we mentioned earlier.
Check here the best waterfalls in Geres
From the waterfall, and for about 1.2 km, the route drops in altitude consistently, with some flat areas in between. This is where we will find the second waterfall on this trail, Laja waterfall. It is a lovely waterfall, with a wooden bridge beside it. Again, this cascade in the summer has minimal volume and can even dry out during periods of great drought. It is still a bigger fall than Leonte’s as it takes longer to dry.
After the waterfall, you’ll continue to descend until reaching the Gerês river. This area is beautiful, with a dense oak forest. In the last 200 meters of the trail, you need to climb back to the starting point. It is quite steep, but as it is only 200 meters, it’s doable.
Best time to do the trail
This is an excellent example of a trail that can be hiked all year round. Given the location, the altitude, and the long periods of shade, it is a good trail to do in the summer.
On the other hand, we strongly advise against doing it in the rain. The stone floor can become very slippery, and some steep slopes make it quite dangerous. So, pay special attention in winter when the humidity can last for several days.
Is the trail family-friendly?
The relatively short distance of this walking trail invites families to take it on. However, when planning, note that differences in altitude are particularly relevant for the elderly and people with mobility difficulties. With time, I think almost everyone can do it, but it still has tough stages.
We see no problem with taking children, as long as they are not infants. The last time we hiked, a family with a 3- to 4-year-old child joined us, and they looked comfortable. It will, of course, be slower, but what’s the hurry?
What to take?
This is a very short trail, but it still takes some time to do, mainly due to the challenging initial climb and the mandatory stops at the viewpoints and waterfalls. We still advise you to take:
- Lots of water (about 1L per person should be enough if it’s not too hot.
- Snacks – note that there aren’t places to eat along the trail.
- Comfortable hiking or running shoes;
- Comfortable clothes;
- A rain jacket if it’s winter;
- Sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen if it’s sunny;
- Camera and smartphone, there are plenty of photo opportunities here;
- A daypack to carry all your essentials.
As always, please do not make any trash. Bring back everything you take with you.
How to go to the trail?
This trail is straightforward to reach since the start/end points are located right next to the N308-1 road. This N308-1 is the main road that goes from the village of Gerês to the Portela do Homem. The start of the trail is right next to the preguiça house, so it is very easy to find. The biggest problem may be parking, as there is no parking and there is minimal available space.
Where to stay?
Preguiça trail is right in the center of Gerês, so any accommodation here is well located. However, the best area to be very close to the trail is clearly the village of Gerês. Despite not being one of our favorite villages in Gerês, it is a very touristic place with lots of accommodation and dining options. Check directly on the map below.
Pin for later
