Today leans away from the coast road and towards the ravines that fold in behind the terraces surrounding the valley. Your first stop is the much-photographed ⛰Véu da Pedra, known locally as the “veil of stone.” The drive up from the harbour takes a little under two hours, winding through terraced slopes, and the last stretch asks for a steady but rewarding scramble down damp basalt steps. Wear grippy shoes and pack a light shell, since afternoon mist rolls in fast. On the way down you will cross two shallow streams and descend a stair carved straight into the rock. The pool at the base, ringed by falling water, is worth the knees.
After the descent, stop at a village tasca to refuel with something unfussy and hot. Try the espetada on bay-laurel skewers at a family-run room called Casa Vindouro. The beef comes over embers and arrives smoky and salted; pair it with a cold glass of poncha da serra — honey, lemon and sugarcane spirit, which is exactly what you want after a wet climb.
If there is daylight left and you are feeling game, make a short detour to 🏠Poço do Frade, a spring-fed pool tucked under an overhang nearby, known for water so cold and clear it hurts, and shallow enough for a quick swim when the weather holds.
Back down in Ribeira Alta, take in the evening promenade and perhaps do a slow lap of the wicker and linen stalls in one of the lanes behind the church.
Would you like me to book a local guide for the ravine descent, or would you rather walk it at your own pace? And should I add more stops for village bakeries and markets around Ribeira Alta?