Portuguese wool: sheep breeds, burel, Ecolã and how to choose a wool piece

By Luís Serra, co-founder of Ra-Ro · View profile

About a 6 minute read

Portuguese wool comes mostly from native sheep breeds raised in the country's mountains and uplands: the Serra da Estrela (also called Bordaleira da Serra da Estrela), the various Churra breeds of the north and interior, the Bordaleira de Entre Douro e Minho and the Merinas. It is a rustic, warm and hard wearing wool that for centuries gave shepherds their burel, blankets and throws. Today it is still worked by family mills such as Ecolã, in Manteigas, and by small collectives that card and spin by hand.

Portuguese wool in short

• Where it comes from: native breeds such as the Serra da Estrela, the Churras (Galega Bragançana, Mondegueira, da Terra Quente and others), the Bordaleira de Entre Douro e Minho and the Merinas.
• What it is like: more rustic than fine merino, with long, coarse fibre in the Churra breeds and medium fibre in the Bordaleiras.
• What it becomes: burel, blankets, throws, jumpers, caps and knitting yarn.
• Who works it: Ecolã in the Serra da Estrela, As Capuchinhas in the Montemuro mountains and the Enfia o Barrete collective in Madeira.
• How to care for it: air it often, wash it rarely, always by hand in cold water.

Where Portuguese wool comes from: the breeds

Portugal has several native sheep breeds, and each gives a different wool. The best known is the Serra da Estrela, raised mainly for the milk behind the famous mountain cheese; breeders also call it Bordaleira da Serra da Estrela. Its wool, white or dark, was for centuries the raw material for the burel and blankets of Manteigas and the surrounding villages.

The word churra appears in the name of several breeds from the north and interior: Churra Galega Bragançana, Churra Galega Mirandesa, Churra Mondegueira, Churra da Terra Quente, Churra do Minho and Churra Badana, among others. Churra wool is long and coarse, not soft to the touch, but very tough. That is why it went into blankets, saddlebags and work cloth rather than clothes worn next to the skin.

Bordaleira wool sits halfway between churra and merino: finer than the first, more rustic than the second. Besides the Serra da Estrela, there is the Bordaleira de Entre Douro e Minho. The islands have wool with character too: in Madeira the sheep are small but give a long, strong, robust fibre.

Carded or spun wool: which to choose

After shearing, wool is washed and carded: the fibres are opened and combed into a light, loose cloud. That is what the Regional Carded Wool 100 g (€16.90) from Madeira is like, ready to spin or felt. Spun wool has already been through the spindle and is a continuous yarn, ready to knit, crochet or weave, like the Regional Spun Wool 100 g (€48.20).

If you want to try, the Spindle for Wool and Linen (€33.80) is the place to start, and the step by step is in How to spin wool with a drop spindle: a beginner's guide. There are also sets combining both wools on our packs page.

What burel is

Burel is wool woven on a loom and then beaten in water in a fulling mill until it shrinks and becomes dense, warm and resistant to wind and rain. It was the cloth of the shepherds of the Serra da Estrela and neighbouring ranges. We tell the full story in Burel: what it is, how it is made and how to care for it and in the burel glossary. At Ra-Ro, the Light Mottled Burel Coat (€306.20) by As Capuchinhas is made from it.

Who Ecolã is

Ecolã is a small family business in Manteigas, the Serra da Estrela town where shepherds and weavers have lived side by side for centuries. It has passed from generation to generation within the same family and combines old techniques with newer ones. It works mainly with burel and wool blankets, often in the natural colours of the sheep, from white to brown.

At Ra-Ro you will find Ecolã's Wool Blanket (Shepherd's Blanket) (€114.00): warm wool for cold winters, made where winters are long. To learn more about the region, see our Serra da Estrela page.

Wool blanket, cobertor de papa or throw: the difference

• Wool blanket: wool woven into a thick cloth with a smooth surface, like the Ecolã blanket. Warm and easy to use every day, on the bed or the sofa.
• Cobertor de papa: also woven wool, but then carded on the surface until it has a long, fluffy pile. Prices and how to spot a genuine one in Cobertor de Papa: price and where to buy.
• Manta (throw): a general name for wool cloths of different weights and uses, from the manta lobeira to the shepherd's manta. We compare them all in Portuguese blankets: cobertor de papa, manta lobeira and shepherd's manta.

How to choose a wool piece

• For cold and rain: burel, which blocks the wind better than any knit.
• For the bed or sofa: a wool blanket, or a cobertor de papa if you want the fluffiest.
• For your neck: the Mottled Scarf (€50.60), 100% wool woven in Montemuro.
• For your head: the Regional Ear Flap Cap (€66.20) from Madeira, dense and in natural sheep colours.
• To wear: the Men's Mottled Jumper (€145.40), made on the hand looms of As Capuchinhas.

How to care for and wash wool

• Air it: wool cleans itself a lot with fresh air; hang the piece by a window before thinking of washing it.
• Wash only when needed: by hand, in cold water, with a gentle wool soap, and follow the label if there is one.
• Do not wring: press the piece inside a towel to remove the water.
• Dry flat: away from direct sun and radiators. Heat and agitation shrink wool.
• Store: clean and dry, with lavender or cedar against moths.

Price and where to buy Portuguese wool

The price reflects the handwork: at Ra-Ro it ranges from €16.90 for 100 g of carded wool to €306.20 for a burel coat, with scarves and caps between €50 and €70. Each piece shows who made it and where it comes from, shipping to Portugal, Europe, the USA, Canada and Brazil.

Frequently asked questions

Which sheep breeds produce Portuguese wool?

The main ones are the Serra da Estrela (or Bordaleira da Serra da Estrela), the various Churras such as Churra Galega Bragançana and Churra Mondegueira, the Bordaleira de Entre Douro e Minho and the Merinas.

What is churra wool?

It is the wool of the Churra breeds: long, coarse and very tough, but not soft. It was used mainly for blankets and work cloth.

What is bordaleira wool?

A medium wool, between churra and merino, typical of breeds such as the Serra da Estrela and the Bordaleira de Entre Douro e Minho.

What is Ecolã?

A small family business in Manteigas, in the Serra da Estrela, that makes burel and wool blankets, combining old and new techniques.

What is the difference between carded and spun wool?

Carded wool has its fibres opened and combed, ready to spin or felt. Spun wool is already a continuous yarn, ready to knit or weave.

Where can I buy Portuguese wool?

At Ra-Ro, with the Ecolã blanket, burel and wool pieces by As Capuchinhas and regional wool from Madeira, shipping to Portugal, Europe, the USA, Canada and Brazil.