Schist Villages at Lousa Mountain: Hiking tour from Coimbra

Stone villages built into steep slopes, where slate paths lead between houses and springs.

A guided hiking tour from Coimbra through the schist villages of Lousa Mountain, combining forest trails with visits to up to nine restored slate settlements. The tour includes hotel pickup, a professional guide in English, Spanish or Portuguese, binoculars, and a souvenir photo. Groups stay under ten people. Choose the morning tour for the main villages, or the full day to reach the highest settlements and the stream-fed Pena village.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Schist Villages and Hiking

• Depart from Coimbra
• Explore Cerdeira village and spring
• Visit Candal village and enjoy fresh air
• Discover restored Schist Village
• Pass by Casal Novo village
• Stop for coffee in Gondramaz village
• Hike between Cadaval Cimeiro and Cadaval Fundeiro

The experience

The tour starts with hotel pickup from Coimbra and heads into Lousa Mountain's forests of pine, chestnut, oak and beech. You'll hike between villages built entirely from schist (slate that splits naturally into flat sheets), and see how the terrain dictated the layout: houses stacked on steep slopes, sometimes appearing to defy gravity. Cerdeira opens with a small bridge and a spring hidden in vegetation; Candal sits near the highway and draws weekend visitors for the air and company; Gondramaz is fully restored with about fifty houses and a café where the group stops for coffee.

The morning tour covers the main villages accessible from the lower slopes. The full day extends higher to Aigra Velha at 770 metres, the highest schist village on the mountain, where wide horizons and simple stone buildings follow the natural rhythm of the landscape. You'll also reach Aigra Nova, a living village with market gardens and livestock, and Pena, where a centuries-old chestnut guards the entrance and the stream runs clear enough to see the Penedos de Góis rock formations alongside. Two abandoned villages, Cadaval Cimeiro and Cadaval Fundeiro, burned in the 1980s. The full day includes a hike between them.

Your guide carries binoculars to spot deer, wild boars, foxes and squirrels moving through the forest. The route is offroad and hiking-based, not a vehicle tour with stops. You're on foot between villages. A professional photographer guide captures a souvenir photo during the day. The tour runs in all weather, so dress for the season. Meals and drinks are optional and paid on site if you choose them.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from Coimbra.
• a professional guide in English, Spanish or Portuguese.
• binoculars to spot wildlife.
• a souvenir photo taken during the day.
• transport by private vehicle between the mountain villages.
• all hiking and village visits.

Options for this experience

3 options

Morning TourGuide in English, Spanish or Portuguese · 08:00Optional: Hotel, hostel or guest house paid locally. Duration: 4 hours. Optional: picnic or restaurant paid locally. 4WD Toyota LandCruiser. Morning tour: Join us for an unforgettable experience on the Lousa mountain, visiting the schist villages! Pickup is included.

Afternoon TourGuide in English, Spanish or Portuguese · 14:00Optional: Hotel, hostel or guest house paid locally. Duration: 4 hours. Optional: picnic or restaurant paid locally. 4WD Toyota LandCruiser. Afternoon tour: Join us for an unforgettable experience on the Lousa mountain, visiting the schist villages! Pickup is included.

Full Day TourGuide in English, Spanish or Portuguese · 09:00Optional: Hotel, hostel or guest house paid locally. Duration: 8 hours. Optional: picnic or restaurant paid locally. 4WD Toyota LandCruiser. Full day tour: Join us for an unforgettable experience on the Lousa mountain, visiting the schist villages! Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00, 09:00 and 14:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (3 and older) · Under 3: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 9 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Veado Verde / Green Deer

Is this one for you?Book the morning tour if you want the main villages and a half-day pace. Choose the full day to reach the highest settlements and the stream-fed Pena village where the landscape opens up. Groups stay under ten, so the hike moves at a steady pace without crowds.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What are the schist villages like when you arrive?

Schist villages are settlements built entirely from slate stone that splits naturally into flat sheets. Houses are stacked on steep mountain slopes, sometimes appearing to defy gravity, with slate paths connecting them and springs hidden among vegetation. Some villages like Gondramaz are fully restored with cafés and tourism facilities. Others like Cadaval Cimeiro and Cadaval Fundeiro are abandoned ruins from fires in the 1980s.

How many villages does the morning tour visit compared to the full day?

The morning tour covers the main villages on the lower slopes: Cerdeira, Candal, Casal Novo, Gondramaz, and others accessible without climbing to the summit. The full day adds the highest villages: Aigra Velha at 770 metres, Aigra Nova, Pena with its stream and rock formations, and includes a hike between the two abandoned Cadaval villages.

Will I see wildlife on this hike?

The forests of Lousa Mountain are home to deer, wild boars, foxes and squirrels. Your guide carries binoculars to help spot them as you hike between villages, though sightings depend on the season and time of day.

Is this tour suitable if I'm not an experienced hiker?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. It combines hiking between villages with visits to the settlements themselves, so the pace is manageable. The morning tour stays on lower slopes. The full day climbs higher but reaches Aigra Velha by an easy route despite its 770-metre altitude.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup and drop-off from Coimbra, a professional guide in English, Spanish or Portuguese, transport by private vehicle, binoculars, a souvenir photo, and all activities are included. Meals and drinks are optional and paid separately on site if you want them.

How many people go on each tour?

Groups are kept to a maximum of ten people per booking, so the hike stays small and the guide can move at a steady pace.