A guide to cheese farms in Dão.

Cheese Farms in Dão

Casa da Ínsua ★ 4.4

Penalva do CasteloFarmBy appointment

Baroque manor in Penalva do Castelo, now a Parador hotel, with museum rooms, a vineyard, a cellar and a dairy that makes Serra da Estrela cheese and requeijão DOP; an Estrelacoop member. The dairy and cellar were shown to visitors on World Wine Tourism Day in November 2024, but no regular dairy tour is advertised.

Cheeses: Queijo Serra da Estrela, Requeijão Serra da Estrela

Visiting: museum rooms: Sala da Família, Sala Braziliana, restored ironworks and 18th-century ice house (Turismo Centro)

Parador Casa da Ínsua, 3556-126 Penalva do Castelo

Quinta da Estaca ★ 4.0

Vilar Seco, NelasMonday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00; closed Saturday and Sunday (Nelas municipal listing, undated)FarmBy appointment

Cheese maker at Vilar Seco in the Nelas part of the Dão, listed by the Nelas municipality among its Serra da Estrela cheese makers; an Estrelacoop member that attended PROVE Viseu in 2026.

Cheeses: Queijo Serra da Estrela

Visiting: weekday opening hours on the Nelas municipal listing; call ahead, no tour or tasting stated

Rua das Bocas, 28, 3520-225 Vilar Seco

Estrelacoop ★ 4.3

Celorico da BeiraCooperativeShop only

Cooperative of Serra da Estrela DOP cheese producers in Celorico da Beira. Its online shop sells the cheese, Velho and requeijão, and it runs a course for qualifying cheese tasters.

Cheeses: Queijo Serra da Estrela, Queijo Serra da Estrela Velho, Requeijão Serra da Estrela

Visiting: online shop for Serra da Estrela DOP cheese, Velho and requeijão, course for qualifying Serra da Estrela DOP cheese tasters, run with INIAV at its Celorico premises (30 and 31 October, 6 and 7 November 2026; register on its site)

Celorico da Beira

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Cheese Farms in Dão, FAQ

What is Queijo Serra da Estrela made from?

Raw milk from Serra da Estrela (Bordaleira) and Churra Mondegueira ewes, curdled with thistle flower (Cynara cardunculus) instead of animal rennet, according to the DOP summary on the Portuguese traditional products site.

How big is a Serra da Estrela cheese?

The specification gives 8 to 20 cm in diameter, 4 to 6 cm in height and 0.4 to 1.7 kg. Wikipedia in Portuguese gives a weight of 0.7 to 1.5 kg.

How old is the cheese?

The DOP summary says the Romans introduced it, that King Dinis created the first cheese dairy in the municipality of Celorico da Beira in 1287, and that the cheese reached Lisbon and Porto in 1885. The cooperative Estrelacoop calls it the oldest of all Portuguese cheeses.

How is it served?

Portuguese Wikipedia says it should be served in slices, rind included, at under 18 degrees.

How long is Queijo Serra da Estrela Velho aged?

At least 120 days, against a 30-day minimum for the standard cheese, per the DOP summary and Estrelacoop.

How does it differ from the standard cheese?

The paste is semi-hard to extra-hard and orange-brown rather than semi-soft, buttery and white-yellowish, and the flavour is stronger and lightly peppery.

What is requeijão?

A cheese made by heating the whey left over from Serra da Estrela cheese until its proteins set, according to the DOP summary.

How is it traditionally eaten?

Plain, dissolved in milk or coffee, or with honey or pumpkin preserve, with or without walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds, according to Estrelacoop.

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