Eco-Wolf Trail – Station F – Wolf Hide I (6/16)

At this station (as well as at Station M), the trail crosses the walls of a “Wolf Hide” (Fojo do Lobo). By taking a short 100-meter detour, you can access the pit where wolves were historically captured. Fojos are ancient dry-stone structures built to trap wolves, reflecting a time when frequent attacks on livestock led local communities to construct these remarkable monuments.

This Fojo, of the converging-walls type, is considered one of the largest examples on the Iberian Peninsula. It features a double variant with two pits and walls approximately 2 km long and 2 m high, designed to cover a wide area. Its origins date back to the Middle Ages, and it was in use until the 1930s.

The V-shaped walls allowed wolves to be driven inside during hunts, which involved hundreds of locals guiding the animals toward the pits, camouflaged with broom branches. To prevent escape, the walls are topped with cápeas or crown stones—flat stones angled inward over the top of the walls. Along the Fojo walls, there are passages for daily movement of people and livestock, which were closed during hunts.

Today, despite the protection of the Iberian wolf and the prohibition of hunts, these imposing structures remain important testimonies to the agro-pastoral culture of mountain communities and their close relationship with the wolf.

Learn more: Mapa do Percurso e Projeto Trilho Eco-Lobo