Castelo de Lousa
Credit: Richard Thomas | ©Richard Thomas
Few travel to Portugal with a hiking holiday in mind. Going to the surf and sun on the beaches of Guincho or the Algarve is more common. However, Portugal does have a hiking attraction that is arguably unique: back country trails that lead to abandoned, "lost" villages!
The common base of these trails is the town of Lousa, about 20 km from the city of Coimbra. Coimbra itself is the one-time medieval capital of Portugal. It remains a lovely city, is popular with Lisbonites looking for a weekend getaways, and is one of the country's best secondary tourist destinations.
Getting There
The simplest and most direct way of accessing the hiking trails of Lousa is to rent a car after flying into either Lisbon or Porto, and drive into the area. Visitors can stay in either Coimbra or Lousa that way, and there is no need to hitch a ride or hike the considerable distance from Lousa to the trailheads. The alternative is to take the bus to Coimbra, make a connection to Lousa, and then either hitch a ride, take a cab, or walk the three kilometers from town to the trailhead.
The Trailhead
The trailhead is in the vicinity of the Castelo de Lousa, which can be very easily found. Leaving town on the west side will bring one to a grouping of signs, one of which points the way southwest, towards the castle. The building itself is a truly medieval, 12th century ruin in good repair. It stands on an impressive crag overlooking the valley and creek below, and there is a lovely grove of Portuguese oak located behind it.
Downhill is a fluvial and restaurant. The fluvial is a dam-created swimming pool. During the hot summer months, the gates are closed and cold mountain waters fill up a refreshing swimming hole. It is a good idea to bring swim trunks along during a summer visit, and to take a dip after a hot, sweaty hike in the highlands.
The restaurant is above the fluvial. Going past it and uphill leads to a large outdoor patio opposite and just below the castle. The trailhead is located at the back of this patio.
The Trails
The common base of these trails is the town of Lousa, about 20 km from the city of Coimbra. Coimbra itself is the one-time medieval capital of Portugal. It remains a lovely city, is popular with Lisbonites looking for a weekend getaways, and is one of the country's best secondary tourist destinations.
Getting There
The simplest and most direct way of accessing the hiking trails of Lousa is to rent a car after flying into either Lisbon or Porto, and drive into the area. Visitors can stay in either Coimbra or Lousa that way, and there is no need to hitch a ride or hike the considerable distance from Lousa to the trailheads. The alternative is to take the bus to Coimbra, make a connection to Lousa, and then either hitch a ride, take a cab, or walk the three kilometers from town to the trailhead.
The Trailhead
The trailhead is in the vicinity of the Castelo de Lousa, which can be very easily found. Leaving town on the west side will bring one to a grouping of signs, one of which points the way southwest, towards the castle. The building itself is a truly medieval, 12th century ruin in good repair. It stands on an impressive crag overlooking the valley and creek below, and there is a lovely grove of Portuguese oak located behind it.
Downhill is a fluvial and restaurant. The fluvial is a dam-created swimming pool. During the hot summer months, the gates are closed and cold mountain waters fill up a refreshing swimming hole. It is a good idea to bring swim trunks along during a summer visit, and to take a dip after a hot, sweaty hike in the highlands.
The restaurant is above the fluvial. Going past it and uphill leads to a large outdoor patio opposite and just below the castle. The trailhead is located at the back of this patio.
The Trails
Comments
It sounds incredible.
Sounds like a fun hike. The dip in the pool sounds great too. :-)
Very well written.
:)
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