Torre (Serra da Estrela)

Torre is the highest point of mainland Portugal, and the second-highest of the country overall (after Mount Pico, in the Azores). This point is not a distinctive mountain summit, but rather the highest point in the Torre Plateau, in the central massif of the Estrela Mountains. Torre has an unusual feature of being a summit that is accessible by paved road, the Regional Road 339 (R 339), formerly National Road 339 (N 339). It is located on the border between the municipalities of Seia, District of Guarda and Covilhã, District of Castelo Branco. The actual elevation of this area is 1,993 metres (6,537 feet), according to measures realized by the Instituto Geográfico do Exército (the military bureau for cartography). Right in the highest point of the mountain range, situated in the middle of a roundabout, near a road that connects the cities of Seia and Covilhã, a trig point that shows the highest point in Serra da Estrela was built. Near Torre, there is a restaurant, stores with typical products of this region, like the Serra da Estrela cheese, and a ski center called Serra da Estrela Ski Resort. The nearest urban area is the city of Covilhã, 20 km (12 mi) away, and the nearest accommodations are situated in the village of Penhas da Saúde, 10 km (6 mi) away.