Schist Villages at Lousa Mountain

Schist Villages are a must see

The schist villages at Lousa Mountain are a must-see. Our tour guide Alfredo was wonderful. He explained the history of the villages and walked us through them. The views from the mountain were breathtaking. Alfredo pointed out a huge buck deer standing in the forest about 20 yards from us. It was such a beautiful animal. We highly recommend this tour.

Four hours learning about the Schist villages.

Our guide, Alfredo, was amazing! He was able to tell us all about the villages and the geographic area surrounding them. He included history of the people as well as the Romans, the geography and lots of information about the plants that live here. It was an excellent 4 hours

Insightful Tour Guide.

Enjoyed the beauty of the landscape and the history of the 400-year-old stone houses, now being restored and redesigned for living and even renting on AirB&B. Moreover, I had the privilege of spending four hours with an insightful tour guide, Alfredo, who shared his vast knowledge of history, culture, and politics in a unique and engaging way. What an opportunity for me have such a wonderful exchange of ideas in English and Spanish, I travel for hours like these!

Do this tour!

Our guides knowledge a familiarity with the region was invaluable. He explained all the history and culture, and answered all our questions in a friendly way. A fantastic tour!

Breathtaking! I'm so happy I booked this!

This is tough...I could go on & on and on! This tour grounded me and was an elixir for my soul! My Guide, Alfredo was knowledgeable, kind, personable and you can tell he really loves doing this! (Apologies if I've misspelled your name, my friend.) As many other reviewers have mentioned, there will be many steps up and steps down. I kept up pretty good, but I always felt like my guide would be accommodating should I need a "moment". I felt a connection to the Villages, its Ancestors, towns people, shopkeepers and mostly ALFREDO by the time the tour ended. The tour ended a few hours ago and I'm still glowing.

Don’t miss this…

Our guide was amazing. It was so far the most captivating experience of Portugal. Country side was incredible and the walks were lovely. So much history. So quaint.

Best tour evee

It was just beautiful and wonderful and the Tour guide was thr best. Would do it agaon and recomment it. Thank you

Must do for nature lovers.

Did the full day tour with Alfredo and it was just me that day- nevertheless I felt welcomed and comfortable. Very knowledgable on its history. Had one of my favorite pastries on my whole trip in Portugal here, and the lunch was so good as well. Visiting the villages felt like I was being transported to the past. Would definitely recommend for those who like nature and quiet.

Definitely a day to remember.

Thanks for a memorable day in these amazing villages. Lunch was to die for as well... Thanks to Alfredo for showing us around.

Mountain adventure

- Tranquility of the mountains - Beautiful villages in different stages of restoration - Unique flowers

Amazing experience and highly recommended

Fantastic experience! Personalised tour of a Schist village and mountain forests where we saw wild deer, boar and stunning scenery. Alfredo was a fantastic guide and very knowledgeable. Amazing value for money. Pete and Nia

Picturesque, Unique

It was great to see several of these villages, each is a bit unique. You need to be able to clamber around somewhat steep steps. Alfredo is a great guide and gave details on animals, trees, and plants. You will enjoy it if you're looking for an opportunity to experience in the countryside near the city of Coimbra.

Thanks Alfredo

A wonderful day in the mountains with a super friendly and knowledgeable Alfredo as the guide. We had some deep and meaningful discussion. We can thoroughly recommend the whole day tour.

Very cute villages in beautiful landscape.

Alfredo, the tour guide, was wonderful and the villages were very interesting and beautiful. The only thing I was a bit disappointed was that the actual villages are no longer inhabited by the original people. They are converted now to holiday vacation rentals.

Terrific tour

Great day with Alfredo. Historian and naturalist and society interpreter. Beautiful isolated villages saved from extinction. Don’t miss it

Fantastic and enlightening

A wonderful half day with Alfredo and another customer from Argentina. Wonderful conversation comparing our different countries. Alfredo was fantastic at translating and keeping us all in the conversation. Loved visiting the villages and hearing Alfredo’s knowledge and love of the area

Breathtaking villages tucked away in the mountains

We booked this tour on a whim after deciding that we wanted to see something away from town after so many city tours. This ended up being one of if not the best day on our whole trip! Definitely recommend to anyone visiting Coimbra, this tour is a must see, the schist villages are breathtakingly beautiful and Alfredo was so knowledgeable! It was so quiet and serene. We had an amazing time, I 100% recommend this tour to anyone considering it

Must-do Experience with Fantastic Guide

Alfredo was an excellent tour guide. He was very friendly and fun to spend the morning with. Our group did not realize but this was actually a private group tour (only four of us) which made it even more personable. The tour was fantastic and contained more info and sites to see than I could ever express here. If you are visiting Coimbra, you absolutely should add this tour to your itinerary.

Amazing tour!

Afredo was a wonderful guide! Knowledgeable about local animals, places, plants, history. One of the best times during my trip. The villages were incredibly beautiful, they almost felt surreal.

Another World

This was a true walk in the past for me...or a walk into another world. Alfredo was a great guide with a wonderful sense of humor. I did not want to leave the Villages, Cerdeira with its artistic influences, or Talasnal with the constant flow of water.

A great day seeing the beauty of the Lousa mountains

Walking through the ruined village and the beautiful natural forest higher up the mountains were a highlight along with walking through the restored villages with their narrow lanes and waterfalls.Alfredo was a great guide and companion for the day - we learnt a lot from him.

Great tour. Highly recommend

Great tour guide. Very knowledgeable of villages and history. Amazing villages. We stayed 2 nights in Gondramaz and would recommend staying at least 3 nights to better absorb the surroundings. Very peaceful area.

Schist Villages

We saw amazing country and met friendly people. Our guide was knowledgeable and professional. It would be a great place to go for a weekend stay at one of the chalets.

Beautiful Villages

Beautiful villages. Lots of steps but worth it. Alfredo was very nice and informative. Would recommend making this one of your tours.

Excellent tour and guide!

We took this tour in March of 2023 but It seems my review posted to another site so I apologize. This is my review, a bit late unfortunately... "Alfredo was wonderful. Very knowledgeable, caring and charming. He took care of us and made certain we saw the best parts of each village while providing us an excellent history of the area and the villages. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Alfredo"

Fantastic knowledgeable guides

Alfredo was fantastic. Full of information and guided us with expertise in all the villages. Well worth the time to drive out and experience it.

Renan was the best tour...

Renan was the best tour guide ever! Enthusiastic, history major who graduated from Coimbra, and so knowledgeable. Well worth the money for sure.

Amazing!

An amazing tour!!! The villages are stunning and a sight worth seeing, you would miss out not seeing these bad boys

Great half day adventure

Good little adventure. Booked the evening before. Your was promptly confirmed. Met at the pickup site, guide (Alfredo) was there waiting. He was friendly and spoke perfect English. As this was a spontaneous trip, I knew nothing really of the villages. Despite rainy weather, still had a good time. Found the three villages we visited quite interesting. Happy to have some free time to explore. Always happy to have a regional pastry. Bonus of some chestnut liqueur. 4 hours was perfect. Would recommend.

Amazing!!!

Even though it’s winter, there is a lot to see and the scenery is very beautiful. The villages themselves were like nothing I had ever seen before, like being transported to another time. The innovation and skill of the people who built the schists houses is incredible and I highly recommend the tour - I had a great time trying local pastries. If you drink, definitely try the chestnut liquor. It’s delicious and will warm you up. I learned so much Portuguese history and culture along the way. Wear layers in the cold months, early morning was very chilly, but by midday the sun had warmed the air and I actually got a bit hot and took off some layers.

Highly Recommend This Tour

This was an excellent tour. The Schist Villages are magical and Alfredo was a great guide. It was a foggy morning in Coimbra but the sun was out higher in the mountains. We might have missed a few views but the fog certainly added some magic of its own.

Studio ghibli village

Was a bit downcast but beautiful regardless. If you haven’t toured one of the rural oldest villages of Portugal this is a must! It definitely felt like straight out of a Studio Ghibli film

Get out of the City

This is a great half day getaway into the mountains above Coimbra to visit Schist villages that were constructed about 500 years ago. The guide was extremely informative and knowledgeable about the area and the history of what we were seeing. I highly recommend this tour if you’re interested in learning about history and culture of the area.

Worth the time

Really amazing villages dating back in time but still used today. It’s interesting to see where some are still in great disrepair and others have been fixed up nicely.

The truly amazing Schist Villages!

Visiting the Schist Villages on Lousa Mountain was one of our favourite things to do in Portugal and we would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the beautiful area of Coimbra. The villages themselves are just fascinating to visit and wander through and it was so interesting to hear about their history and enjoy the beautiful forest environment. Alfredo was a lovely man and an interesting and informative guide. He picked us up from our accomodation and we were lucky enough to have a personal tour with him. Definitely a must do trip in Portugal!

Epic views

Beautiful scenery and trip back in time. Great host/guide as well. Highly recommend! Plenty of stairs but worth it!

Incredible old buildings hard to believe they could live in those conditions. No plumbing or running water no elevtrici

Amazing ancient buildings between 1200-1600. People lived a very tough life. Lived totally off the land. Pedro our guide was super nice and a very safe driver since we went in a 4 wheel drive

Schist Village Tour Extraordinaire

Alfredo of Green Deer did an amazing job. As well as visiting three Schist villages, Alfredo provided us with great historical background. Great job Alfredo! We enjoyed our tour very much and would highly recommend this tour for anyone desiring to see a unique way of life in the mountains of Coimbra.

A perfect day

Beautiful views, interesting villages, learned some history of the area. Guides were wonderful. Highly recommend.

Top Flight tour!

Pedro and his father Alfredo are extremely good guides and know their territory and occupants very well. In fact we were so impressed that we booked a trip w Alfredo the next day to visit Conimbriga. Another excellent trip. Don’t hesitate to book with these guys!

Must do

An easy drive from Coimbra. Alfredo is very knowledgeable, friendly a great guide. The villages are a great addition to your time in Coimbra.

A must see when you visit Portugal.

A fantastic trip and one of the highlights of my time in Portugal. Our guide was very knowledgeable but did not overload us with too much information. He also gave us plenty of time to explore on our own. The villages were absolutely fantastic. Quaint, charming, atmospheric, and photographer’s dream. Some were also very tranquil and restful with cool, fresh air.

Another side of portugal

Very small group - only the tour guide and me. It was great to get away from the hustle and bustle. The villages were interesting and there was just the right amount of info and activity. Highly recommended.

Afternoon tour

The villages are spectacular - was amazing to see such a different side of Coimbra. Alfredo was very friendly and a great tour guide!

Tour of the Schist Villages with Alfredo

We did a half day tour of the Schist Villages with Alfredo this morning, and loved it. Alfredo is a knowledgeable and professional tour operator who brings a lot of flair and experience to the tour. An experienced engineer by profession, Alfredo is an all rounder. The Schist Village are worth visiting both for their unique styles and for the surrounding natural environment.

Schist Villages and Lousa Mountain

Alfredo was prompt and right on time for our tour. It was only my wife and I on the tour so we got lots of attention and extra details and information about each stop. He gave us time to explore on our own too which I greatly appreciated. This is a must do tour while in Coimbra!

A must do experience!!

What an amazing experience the beauty of the villages and the knowledge of my guide insures I will be bringing visitors for this tour for years to come.

Fascinating View of Ancient Villages Surrounding Coimbra

We loved seeing how very old rock homes were being restored and preserved. We appreciated driving in the country side, seeing the old villages perched on hillsides and even a castle. The drive was a little scary with narrow roads, especially with an oncoming vehicle. Our driver was a little speedy for us.

A memorable morning in the mountains

We are very glad we decided to do a tour of the Schist villages during our stay in Coimbra. Our guide, Alfredo, shared his knowledge and love of the mountains with us as we visited these unique villages made from shale. A pleasant change to get away from the city and experience nature. I also enjoyed tasting the wine made from the Medronho fruit - delicioso! The tour was a great experience and one I would highly recommend.

Great trip to see Schist villages!

Such a beautiful area and the villages are so unique. Enjoyed exploring on my own. Guide was nice and knowledgable