Nave de Santo António and Poio do Judeu (Geosite), Manteigas

Located about 1500 meters above sea level, between the valleys of Zêzere (to the north) and Alforfa (to the south), and being an area of transition between the western and eastern Estrela’s plateaus, the Nave de Santo António is one of the most significant geomorphological sites of the Estrela. Its surface is covered by accumulations of large boulders transported by the glaciers that flowed from the high areas of the Torre Plateau. Although seemingly disorganized, boulder alignments are observed in several places, forming moraine ridges that clearly mark the limits of the glacial margin. The most important ones are the Poio do Judeu moraine in the north, and the Alforfa moraine in the south. Moraines are sediments transported by glaciers and deposited mainly next to their margins. In the Nave de Santo António, two well-preserved lateral moraines deposited by the Zêzere and Alforfa glaciers are observed, as well as a series of more disorganized moraines deposited at an earlier stage, when the whole col was occupied by glacial ice.

Nave de Santo António 1

Nave de Santo António 2

Nave de Santo António 3

Nave de Santo António 4

Nave de Santo António 5

Nave de Santo António 6