Rutas Turísticas

Percurso

The border creates genuine life forms throughout history. The populations next to the 'Raia' form relationships between them that give them a unique character, with unique customs and practices. One of them is smuggling, this trade that was outside the law was, in many cases, a choice for survival.

 

The Smugglers’ Road goes around some of the ‘raiana’ populations whose neighbours tell stories about the nights out, across the other side of the bush, to take coffee, grain and all sorts of goods. The trafficking of goods was made in either direction, depending on the historical moment and the difficulties that the people of either country were going through. Beyond a local phenomenon, this trade could be a State policy, as in the case of tin exports, of military interest, prohibited to countries not declared as non-belligerent. Not only goods crossed this border, with the complicity of residents, political refugees and emigrants also crossed here.

 

The whole ‘Raia’ between Chaves and Verín, in small towns and roads stories are told, in which smugglers and armed forces take central stage. A journey through the history that makes us reflect on legal issues and justice. This route takes you along roads and villages that still keep in their memory events difficult to find in the books because, it was simply better to keep them secret.