In the center of Portugal, off the beaten path of the big cities, beaches and tourist spots, sits a pure treasure. The schist villages of Portugal dot the mountain sides and breathtaking landscapes of this region and are a great place to take a break from the normal tourist destinations.
These historic villages were created around the 12th and 13th centuries and are called schist villages because they are constructed using schist stone–shale and slate gathered from the mountain. They were inhabited for centuries until lack of jobs and income drove many people to the cities and the villages were abandoned. In 1995, Portugal initiated a program called “Aldeias Históricas de Portugal” and promoted the preservation of these villages and their cultural significance. Since then, Portugal and the EU have been joining forces to reconstruct several of the villages. These reconstruction efforts continue today.
In contrast from what you normally see in Portuguese villages, schist villages look like something out of a fairy tale. They are characterised by their unique architecture with stone walls, tile roofs and narrow winding streets. You cannot drive through the villages; there is usually a small parking lot at the entrance. The villages are also built on the side of the mountain, so your exploration usually takes you downhill first and then you climb back up the wide stairs.
The views from these villages are incredible and often you will run across a look out to take pictures. The woods are full of wild boar, red dear, chestnut trees and cork oaks.
On top of the Serra da Lousã range are 12 of the 27 schist villages of Portugal. This week, we took a few days to explore a few of these villages that have become a national treasure here in Portugal.
Out of the 12 villages in the Serra da Lousã, we visited 4: Gondramaz, Casal Novo, Talasnal, and Chiqueiro. All of these villages were accessible by car and then on foot. Three of these villages were connected by the Lousã Schist hiking trail. If you love mountain biking, there are many bike trails around these villages.
Best time to visit
During the summer months, the interior of the country get’s very hot. In the winter, it get’s very cold. So we would recommend you visit these villages in the fall and spring. We went at the end of May and the temperatures got up to around 30 degrees celsius (86 Fahrenheit). It was hot walking around some of these places in the direct sun. Bring a hat, sunglasses and water with you because many of the villages do not have stores or cafes.
Getting There
First of all, there are 27 villages throughout the central part of Portugal and none of them are very close to major cities. It would be difficult to access them by public transportation. Some busses may deliver you to a village close by, but not directly to the schist villages.The best way to get there is by car. Several in the Lousã mountain range could be a day trip from Coimbra. We do know that you can take a private tour from Coimbra that will take you to several villages for a half day.
Schist villages we visited
Gondramaz
Gondramaz is a beautiful village located just outside of Miranda do Corvo. The winding road takes you high up the mountain where the village sits on the side overlooking mountain slopes of leafy vegetation. The village is mostly restored houses that are either vacation rentals or part of the two hotels in town. There is a bar and restaurant but they are not open in the off season and mostly just on weekends in the summer. While we were there at the end of May, they were not open. There are only 3-4 full time residents here so the village is very quiet, but quite lovely.
We stayed at the Mountain Whisper Hotel located in the village and loved it! It has a lovely reception area with a swimming pool and breakfast is included in your stay. The rooms are redone schist houses and are quaint and comfortable. Please note, the village is located on the side of a mountain, as they all are, and they can be quite steep in some places.
Talasnal
The schist village of Talasnal is probably the most famous in the area and the most geared toward tourism. There is a small parking lot at the head of the village and a restaurant and a cafe in the main square. There is also another restaurant, the Ti Lena, that is supposed to be quite good.
We walked a little through the village and marvelled at the stone houses and the narrow streets. The majority of the properties have been renovated but there were a few that were either in ruin or being worked on. The cafe in town sells a few souvenirs and offers cold drinks on a hot day.
Casal Novo
Casal Novo sits right on the side of a mountain and the only way to go through this village is down a steep descent of steps. A lot of steps. The village is small and it did not seem that anyone was living there. There were several houses that were renovated and one that looked like a cafe/souvenir stop at the bottom, but it was not open on the Tuesday we visited. We saw one person in the village and he was working on one of the houses.
Chiqueiro
Chiqueiro is located at the end of a road on the top of a mountain and looks rather deserted. We knew it wasn’t when we heard voices around a corner and saw a few people working in a garden. There is a very small parking area at the beginning of the village and a spring/well that provides water. There is also a small church just inside the village to the right. You can’t see it unless you venture that way.
We didn’t go too far into the village since it was our third of the day and we were hot and tired. But I think that in the next few years, this village will begin to see some new growth. The best part was the view at this landmark where, of course, we took our pics.
Others in the Serra da Lousã group
There are 8 other villages located in the Lousã group including Pena which has a lovely waterfall and chestnut trees. There is also Aigra Velha and Aigra Nova, Ferraria de São João, and Casal de São Simão.
Other territories of Schist villages
In the Açor Mountain Ranges, you can find 5 villages including Aldeia das Dez and Sobral de São Miguel which is known as the “heart of the schist” and the largest group of schist buildings in the network of villages. Make sure you take a walk down the Main Street following the Ribeira do Porsim to the center of the village.
Along the Zêzere River, you can find several villages such as Barroca which is the headquarters of the Schist villages’ network. Janeiro de Baixo and Janeiro de Cima are also located in this region and have beautiful villages as well as river beaches close by. In Janeiro de Cima, you can take a ride upstream in the summer.
The Tejo-Ocreza villages include the small villages of Martim Branco, Castelo Branco, and Água Formosa. Here, you are very close to Spain and the interior of Portugal.
More information about the villages
For more information about the Schist villages, visit the Aldeias do Xisto website (the official website for the Schist villages). They have information about mountain biking trails, river beaches, certified restaurants and everything about the schist villages.
We have also done a podcast on our visit to the schist villages of Lousã Mountain. Check it out here!
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Shelley is a full time traveler, blogger and podcaster currently living in Portugal with her wife, 2 dogs and a cat. She is a former history teacher originally from Winston-Salem, NC but wanted to see what life was like abroad. Now she travels all over Portugal and Europe writing about what she sees and does and tells you all kinds of fun stories on the podcast at Wandering Works for Us.