Schist Villages of Lousã: Full-day tour from Coimbra

Mountain villages built from schist stone, a slow-cooked goat lunch, and the swing at Lousã's highest point.

A full-day guided tour from Coimbra into the Serra da Lousã, visiting four schist stone villages (Cerdeira, Candal, Talasnal and Casal Novo) plus Arouce Castle and a natural beach, with lunch at a typical restaurant and local cheese, oil and wine tasting in Rabaçal. The guide speaks English, Spanish or Portuguese. Lunch and bottled water are included. The day runs eight hours and involves moderate physical fitness.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Schist Villages and Local Tastes

• Visit schist villages of Serra da Lousã
• Climb to Lousã swing
• Taste PDO cheese and local products in Rabaçal

The experience

You start from Coimbra and head into the Serra da Lousã, a mountain range close to the city where villages still stand as they were built centuries ago, their houses cut from schist stone and stacked into the hillside. The route takes you through Cerdeira, Candal, Talasnal and Casal Novo: each one a stop to walk the narrow lanes, see how people live in these remote places, and understand the routines that have not changed much. The guide narrates the history and the way of life as you move through them, and you get time to move at your own pace through each village.

Lunch arrives at a typical restaurant where the kitchen cooks chanfana, a local specialty of goat meat slow-roasted in a wood-fired oven until it falls apart. Other dishes are available if that does not appeal to you. Before and after, the day takes you to Arouce Castle and down to Nª Srª Piedade, a natural beach at the foot of the mountain, then climbs to Trevim, the highest point in the range, where the Lousã swing hangs out over the valley. The swing is the moment many travelers come for: a wooden seat tied to a tree, swinging out over the drop.

The tour ends in Rabaçal, the local cheese capital, where you taste PDO sheep and goat cheese, olive oil, bread and wine before the drive back to Coimbra. Eight hours total, with a guide who speaks your language and water provided throughout the day.

What’s included

• Bottled water throughout the day.
• lunch at a typical restaurant with local cuisine.
• cheese, olive oil, bread and wine tasting in Rabaçal.
• guide in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00Last departure this season: 31 Dec

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (6 to 80 years) · Under 6: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical levelInfant seats availableNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by Viajeportugal

Is this one for you?Book this if you have a full day and prefer moving with a group on a set route. You'll visit mountain villages, taste local food including chanfana, and reach viewpoints like the Lousã swing, all following your guide's pace rather than setting your own.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

What are the schist villages like when you walk through them?

Cerdeira, Candal, Talasnal and Casal Novo are small mountain settlements built entirely from schist stone, with narrow lanes and houses stacked into the hillside. They remain largely as they were built, showing how people lived and still live in these remote places, and the guide explains the history and routines as you move through each one.

What is chanfana, and are there other lunch options?

Chanfana is a local specialty of goat meat cooked slowly in a wood-fired oven until tender. Lunch is served at a typical restaurant in the region. Other dishes are available if you prefer not to eat the chanfana.

What happens at the cheese tasting in Rabaçal?

Rabaçal is known for PDO sheep and goat cheese. The tour ends there with a tasting of local cheese, olive oil, bread and wine before you return to Coimbra.