the Schist Villages of Lousã & Açor • Indie Traveller

When I recently posted pictures of my hike in the Serra da Lousã on social media, it kinda blew up among my Lisbon expat and nomad friend circle. My DMs were full of people wanting to know everything about it.

Where was this place? How do you get there? And how is this in Portugal?!

Of course, I was happy to share — and given the response, I knew I should also spill the beans about this hidden gem in Portugal here!

With its stone houses, fern fields, and mossy trails, the Serra da Lousã feels a bit different from other parts of the country. At times, I felt like I was walking through a Medieval fantasy world.

What probably helped is that I visited on a misty day, which made the landscapes look a little more ethereal than it would on a sunny day — though the area is clearly beautiful under any circumstances.

Located close to the city of Coimbra, the Lousã mountain ridge is part of a larger range running through central Portugal and which is filled with castles,…