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Tours

Walking & Hiking Tour in the Schist Villages

Duration 8 Days
Type Self Guided
distance 60 km
Lodging Comfort
|Walking & Hiking Tour in the Schist Villages
Ref. Tour: tour008

Taste the delicious local cuisine and be surprised by the natural and cultural heritage. Stay in a restored stone house and refresh yourself at the river beaches. Walk village to village, passing by 10 Schist Villages and 3 fluvial beaches in one week!

An 8-day walking village-to-village tour passing by 10 Schist Villages and 3 Fluvial Beaches of central Portugal. Our lodgings are stone houses renewed as comfy rural tourism inns, surrounded by pure nature. An unforgettable time-travel experience!
Villages: Casal de São Simão, Ferraria de São João, Gondramaz, Chiqueiro, Casal Novo, Talasnal, Vaqueirinho, Catarredor, Candal and Cerdeira.


 
 
responsibletravel recommends Portugal A2Z Walking & Biking

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Center of Portugal centrodeportugal nature Schist Villages Walking

"We are an American couple in our 70s who have been on several European self-guided walking tours. In March 2023 we went on Portugal A2Z's Schist Village tour. It was very well organized, the GPS system worked perfectly, and we felt very well supported. We highly recommend Portugal A2Z! "

Carolyn Madsen & Gene Duvernoy

"We have generally arranged and planned our own hiking trips in Europe over the past 15 years. We have had a few experiences recently with “self’guided” walking, with varied results.  Our experience with A2Z and the Schist villages is by far the best experience we have had. "

Don & Anne Mazer | Canada

Daily Itinerary
Dates & Prices
More Information

Daily Itinerary

Day 01
Arrival in Coimbra
Transfer from the Coimbra train station to Casal S. Simão and Briefing;
Stage 1: Loop Casal de São Simão (6km | 3.7mi / 247m | 810.4ft) 
The walk takes place in the surroundings of Casal de São Simão. It goes through Fragas de São Simão's river beach and passes through the villages of Além da Ribeira, Ponte do Brascurado and Saonda. The water lines that abound in this area, like the Alge and Fato streams, are full of old water channels and watermills, evidence of the human presence over the centuries. Transfer to Ferraria de São João.
Dinner and Overnight at Ferraria de São João.
Day 02
Stage 2: Loop Ferraria de São João (11.3km | 7mi / 544m | 1784.8ft)
Short version: (5 km | 3.1 mi / 238 m | 780.3 ft)
In the morning you will have a Workshop on Fresh Goat Cheese Making. Later, on the local walking trail, you will have the chance to appreciate how the schist and quartz merge harmoniously at the beautiful village of Ferraria de São João.
(Lunchbox included)
Dinner and Overnight at Ferraria de São João.
Day 03
Stage 3: Ferraria de São João - Gondramaz (20km | 12.4mi / 850m | 2788.7ft)
Today's walk will take you to the beautiful village of Gondramaz, passing by the Louçainha Fluvial Beach. This is indeed a land of craftsmen, whose skilled hands create charismatic figures that are the hallmark of the region and take the name of its master and village beyond its borders.
(Lunchbox included)
Dinner and Overnight at Gondramaz.
Day 04
Stage 4: Gondramaz - Talasnal (12km | 7.2mi / 705m | 2313ft)
Today you will walk from Gondramaz to Talasnal village, passing by Chiqueiro and Casal Novo. Discovering these Schist Villages represents immersing yourself in the magical world of the Lousã mountain, with its splendid vegetation, where deer, boars and many other species live, some of them rare and protected. Here nature is sovereign! 
Transfer back to Gondramaz.
(Lunchbox included)
Dinner and Overnight at Gondramaz.
Day 05
Stage 5: Talasnal - Cerdeira (10km | 6.2mi / 970m | 3182.4ft)
Transfer to Talasnal.
Walk from Talasnal to Cerdeira, passing by Vaqueirinho, Catarredor, and Candal. You will follow the ancient trails used by local inhabitants to reach Lousã.
(Lunchbox included)
Dinner and Overnight at Cerdeira.
Day 06
Cerdeira Free Day
Enjoy a free afternoon in Cerdeira, where you will participate in a Miniature Schist Houses Building Workshop in the morning, as well as a Traditional Portuguese Cuisine (Chanfana) Workshop, a cooking lesson and a dinner of local and traditional food.
Optional: other workshops or a hike.
(Lunchbox included)
Dinner and Overnight at Cerdeira.
Day 07
Stage 6: Cerdeira - Lousã (7km | 4.3mi | 280m | 918.6ft)
Walk down  from Cerdeira by the Levada (waterway) to Lousã Castle and to Sra. da Piedade fluvial beach.
(Lunchbox included)
Dinner and Overnight at Cerdeira.
Day 08
Departure
Transfer from Cerdeira to Coimbra / End of Services / Make your way or we can arrange a Private Transfer from Coimbra to Lisbon/Porto (optional)
Optional: Visit Coimbra, a UNESCO heritage site.
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Dates & Prices


From 1160,00€/person  |  Min. 2 participants (Starting on Sundays*)
 
Normal season (01stJanuary - 30thJune & 01stSeptember - 31stDecember)
Single Supplement: 500€
Solo Traveller Supplement: 890€
3rd Person Supplement **: 600€


*other days: on request
** On an extra bed in the same room/house
*** A Guided Version is possible. Ask us for more information.

More Information

Included
 
  • 7 nights with breakfast on selected accommodations;
  • Briefing with an A2Z Guide;
  • Transfer from Coimbra to Ferraria de São João and from Cerdeira to Coimbra;
  • 6 Lunchboxes and 7 Dinners;
  • Local transfers necessary for the itinerary;
  • Workshops: Fresh Goat Cheese Making, Miniature Schist House Building and Traditional Portuguese Cuisine (Chanfana);
  • Relaxing massage;
  • Luggage transfers – 1 bag per person – up to 15kg/bag;
  • 24 hours support line;
  • App on your phone with maps, GPS tracks and descriptions of stages;
  • Personal Accident Insurance;
  • A2Z Offer.


Extra Services
 
  • Guided visit to Coimbra, Aveiro or Porto: on request
  • Extra night at Cerdeira, Coimbra; Lisboa or Porto: on request
  • Transfer to and from Airport (Lisbon/Porto): On request
  • GPS device (rental): 50€
  • Smartphone rental with RWGPS + Phone holder (rental): 50€
  • Powerbank (rental): 15€


Not Included:
 
  • Transfers from and to the airport;
  • Museum and Monuments fees;
  • Personal equipment;
  • Other personal expenses;
  • All items not mentioned in “included”.

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