Schist Villages of Lousã Mountain: Artistic and Natural Rewards in a Half-Day Tour from Coimbra

Embark on a half-day tour from Coimbra to explore the Schist Villages of Lousã Mountain. Immerse yourself in the artistic inspiration and natural beauty of these small villages nestled in the mountains.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Cerdeira - The Schist Village of Cerdeira, right in the heart of the mountains, distinguished by its natural beauty. It is a place of artistic inspiration based on the School of Arts and Crafts that promote art and creativity in line with the silence and the surrounding natural wealth. Perfectly rebuilt with houses integrated into the landscape, thanks to the reuse of shale stones, clay and brown wood.

  • Aldeia Do Candal - The Schist Village of Candal, the best located, developed and most visited, thanks to its easy access. Nestled in the mountains on a hill facing south, the visitor walks through the narrow, steep streets and from the top of the viewpoint contemplates the beautiful views over the valley.

  • Aldeia do Talasnal - The Schist Village of Talasnal, the largest and best preserved. The village with the most charisma, endowed with a natural setting that makes us immerse ourselves in a magical world. Discovering the village through the narrow, steep streets of the hillside is timeless. There are alleys to discover, stairs to go up or down and balconies to admire. Here Nature and Human hand are brought together.

What's Included
  • Bottled water
  • All taxes, fees and handling charges included
  • Professional driver/guide
  • Comfortable transport in an air-conditioned minivan
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
Additional Information

Travel to the Schist Villages of Serra da Lousã, a group of small villages of shepherds spread across the mountains.

The visit begins at the Village of Cerdeira, right in the heart of the mountains. It is a place of artistic inspiration based on the School of Arts and Crafts that promote art and creativity in line with the silence and the surrounding natural wealth.

We continue through the Village of Candal. Nestled in the mountains on a hill facing south, the visitor walks through the narrow, steep streets and from the top of the viewpoint contemplates the beautiful views over the valley.

The Village of Talasnal, the largest and best preserved. Discovering the village through the narrow, steep streets of the hillside is timeless.

We return to Coimbra after this journey “in time” to our rural ancestor.

Location
Av. Emídio Navarro 21
Avenida Emídio Navarro
In front of Astória Hotel
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(25 Ratings)
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1 star
Nancy_k
Jul 5, 2024
Schist Tour - Great overview of the Schist Villages. It was prudent that the tour owner drove to the villages given the narrow roads with hairpin turns and switchbacks.
Review provided by Viator
Lindsey_g
Jun 16, 2024
Would book again - This was a wonderful tour and great tour guide. He was very knowledgeable. The villages were very beautiful.
Review provided by Viator
Susanry1123an
Jun 14, 2024
Great tour and tour guide. - I thought this tour was fascinating. Xavier is the best tour guide I have ever had. He was so knowledgable and informative. He was punctual in collecting us from an easy to find meet up point. Very comfortable car. The three villages we visited were quite different to each other and all very interesting. Loved this half day tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_v
Apr 16, 2024
A Wonderful History Lesson in a Beautiful Area - Beautiful trip. Our driver and driver in training were very knowledgeable, engaged with us, and made our trip enjoyable. They had great senses of humor. They were patient in answering our many questions. A great experience!
Review provided by Viator
Debra_c
Mar 14, 2024
We loved our tour of Schist Villages! - Our guide was wonderful and made our trip to Schist Villages so informative and enjoyable. The pickup spot and in Coimbra was easy to locate. Our guide told us the history of the villages as well as showed us many other interesting things on the way to and from the villages. It was our favorite Portugal tour and we loved it. The settings for the villages is in the mountains so we saw mountain streams and hiking trails among the houses. We learned about the red and yellow hiking signs which explain the routes through the mountains. The construction of the houses is fascinating. We definitely recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Suzanne_e
Jan 31, 2024
Beautifully Unique - Great day. Excellent tour guide who knew a great deal about the villages. Beautiful scenery. Unlike any other experience in Portugal.
Review provided by Viator
Suewebb
May 14, 2023
Great value for short schist village tour - We loved our half day tour of the schist villages with Xavier. He was knowledgeable and interesting, providing lots of information.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
N7459shmattb
May 14, 2023
Fantastic tour guide - We were in Coimbra for 2 days and spent one of them with Xavier touring the Schist Villages. Xavier was extremely knowledgeable and was a fantastic tour guide. Would highly recommend to anyone interested in getting out of the city for a day and exploring a bit of history!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jsjeffrey
May 12, 2023
Not a wine tour, but…. - Xavier was very knowledgable, taking all the time we needed as we asked questions about the schist villages and their origins. It was a bit of a highlight to climb down into Talasnal, find a delightful shop and a Taberna, and to have a good glass of regional wine, just opened, for 1.5 Euro.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Margaretoy9275nu
Apr 5, 2023
A must see of early mountain village life - Saw three of the shale rock (schist) villages in mountains near Coimbra. 4 hour trip with our wonderful guide Xavier who was so friendly and informative. Glad he was driving very steep and narrow mountain roads. The villages were so interesting unbelievable architectural style and beautiful surroundings. Definitely will seek out this company and Xavier on our next Portugal trip
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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September 2024
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