To reach Soajo is to enter a mountain village where everything seems to have been carved from the same stone. The road goes uphill, the bends bring you closer to the mountains and suddenly the concentrated houses appear, embraced by the hills. At the top, the unmistakable silhouettes of the granaries stand out, lined up on a huge granite slab. It is there, on that community threshing floor, that Soajo presents itself to the world.
The threshing floor where corn was a treasure
The Soajo granaries There are 24 of them. They are all made of granite, built on a rocky outcrop, side by side, as if they formed a small village within the village. For centuries they guarded the corn, protecting it from humidity, rats and other pests. Today, above all, they preserve the memory of a way of living in community.
Each granary has its own personality: engraved dates, crosses on the top, little details that show the time and the hand of those who built them. The oldest dates back to the 18th century, but all of them are still there, standing firm, defying the rain, the wind and the decades.
When you go up to the threshing floor, you realize why it was classified as Property of Public Interest. The view opens up to the valley, the granite shines with the light and there is a curious feeling of being in a place that is both sacred and everyday. Sacred because the bread for the whole year was stored there; everyday because it was a place for socializing, shared work and conversation at the end of the day.
A town that grew up around stone
But Soajo isn't just about the granaries. The village lives, breathes and invites you to walk around without a map in hand.
The streets are narrow, many with uneven sidewalks, lined with granite houses that show the mix between the old and the restored. In the square, the pillory stands discreetly, with its peculiar figure, a sign that Soajo was once a municipality and a local decision-making center.
There are balconies with flowers, open doors, a café where people talk about everything and nothing, a restaurant where the smell of cabrito and rojões mixes with the Minho accent. It's not a museum village: it's a real place, with people who work, who go to the store, who drive the tractor and who, at the same time, are used to seeing visitors arrive with a camera on their chest.
Between the valley and the mountains
Part of Soajo's magic also comes from its location. The village is part of the Peneda-Gerês National Park, It's at a point where the mountains can be approached, but still have a wild side.
A few minutes away by car or on foot you'll find waterfalls, lagoons and trails that will delight those who like fresh water and mountain paths: Poço Negro, Poço Bento, Lagoas de Travanca, among others.
This often makes a visit to the granaries the starting point or the end of a whole day:
- morning spent on a trail or in a pond,
- long lunch in the village,
- afternoon climbing the threshing floor and wandering the streets.
A perfect setting, but still authentic
From a visual point of view, the granaries are irresistible. In the late afternoon, when the sun goes down and the light warms up, the stone takes on golden hues and the valley below seems more serene. It's the ideal time to take pictures, but also to do something that is becoming rare: simply stand and stare.
At the same time, it's important to realize that this “perfect setting” wasn't built for tourists. It is the result of very concrete needs: protecting crops, organizing work, sharing resources. The threshing floor is a symbol of a culture of mutual help that defines the character of this community.
This authenticity can be felt in the small details: an old man explaining how corn used to be threshed, a family that still uses one of the granaries, the naturalness with which the locals interact with outsiders.
How to live in Soajo with time
The best way to get to know Soajo is not to see it as a “quick photo stop”. It's worth setting aside at least half a day - ideally a full day - to soak up the atmosphere.
A possible rhythm:
- start at the granary threshing floor, early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when there is less traffic;
- go down to the center, explore the square, the pillory, the church, the side streets;
- sit on a terrace, sip a glass of vinho verde and listen to the conversations around you;
- finish with a short walk to a nearby watering hole or, on the contrary, start with nature and save the granaries for the quietest moment of the day.
Those who decide to stay in Soajo gain another dimension: the silence of the night, the starry sky, the privilege of seeing the threshing floor almost empty at sunrise.
Respecting a heritage that belongs to everyone, but above all to them
As in other very photogenic places, the biggest challenge in Soajo is to balance the curiosity of those who visit with the tranquillity of those who live there. The preservation of this heritage also depends on the behavior of visitors.
This involves simple things:
- don't climb the granaries,
- do not enter private areas,
- don't leave litter,
- moderate the noise,
- ask before photographing people.
It's a fair trade: in exchange for respect, Soajo offers one of the country's most striking rural ensembles, a village that naturally shows how community life has shaped the landscape.