The best traffic-free bike rides around Aliste

Rio de Onor is not just a beautiful village; it's a "living museum" of a way of life that has almost disappeared in Europe. It's worth visiting because it is possibly the village with the most fascinating social history in Portugal. Here are the 4 main reasons to go there: 1. It's a Community Village ("Communitarianism") This is Rio de Onor's great trademark. For centuries, the village lived under a system of total sharing among neighbors, something very rare: Sharing of Goods: The bread oven, the watermill, and even the village bull belonged to everyone. The "Rod of Justice": Decisions and fines for infractions in the village were marked on a wooden rod, managed by the "judge" elected by the people. You can see this history explained at the Casa do Touro (House of the Bull), a small, unmissable museum in the village. 2. One Village, Two Countries Rio de Onor is a village bisected by the international border. On this side is Rio de Onor (Portugal); on the other side is Rihonor de Castilla (Spain). For the inhabitants, the border never really existed: they share land, livestock, and even speak their own dialect (Rionorês), an ancient mixture of Portuguese and Castilian. It's very curious to cross from one country to the other on foot in the middle of the main street. 3. The Schist Landscape and Nature Located in the Montesinho Natural Park, the village is visually stunning. The houses are made of dark schist with wooden balconies, typical of Trás-os-Montes, and are very well preserved. The Onor River, which crosses the village, has clear waters and creates a very pleasant natural river beach in the summer, perfect for picnics. 4. The "Roman" Bridge The old stone bridge (which is actually from the 19th century, despite its popular name) is the village's postcard image. The reflection of the arches in the water with the schist houses in the background creates one of the most photogenic landscapes in Northern Portugal. Visiting Rio de Onor is like stepping back in time and understanding how communities survived in isolation in the mountains, supporting each other. It's a lesson in life and history in an incredible natural setting.

Rio de Onor is a sleepy little village right on the Portugal/Spain border. The drive through it is a challenging one and absolutely not recommended for larger campervans.

Rio de Onor is one of the most emblematic villages in Bragança and the Montesinho Natural Park, and was elected the 7th Wonder of Portugal in 2017 – a village in a protected area. Crossing the border with Spain, on one side is Rio de Onor, and on the other, Rihonor de Castilla, which is why it is said to be “one village, two countries”!

The Aliste River is a watercourse that originates in the Sierra de la Culebra, in the district of San Pedro de las Herrerías, in the province of Zamora, Spain. Along its route, it passes through the towns that make up the valley of the region that bears its name. Some of these towns include Mahíde, Las Torres de Aliste, Pobladura de Aliste, Palazuelo de las Cuevas, San Vicente de la Cabeza, Bercianos de Aliste, Flores de Aliste, Gallegos del Río, Domez, Vegalatrave, Vide de Alba, El Castillo de Alba, and finally reaches Carbajales de Alba.

Beautiful views of the Sanabria region and the Culebra mountain range.

From the top of this small town located at the top of one of the terraces that the Río Aliste has created, we can see perfectly this river crossing and the same bridge that helps to cross on foot to the other side of the stream.

To the north of the Sierra de Cantadores we find this mountain range that is located along the banks of the Ricobayo Reservoir. Beautiful area of crowded areas.

Striking border town, half in Spain called Riohonor and half in Portugal, Río de Onor. At the exit on the Portuguese side there is a campsite with a bar