An adventure through the Schist Villages of Lousã (with walk)

An interesting tour of the Schist Villages with Sergio. It was an informative trip - visited 2 villages - one more rustic and the other more touristic. Sergio was very knowledgeable and had a great interest with the historical features of the villages. Enjoyable tour. We had a better understanding of the area!

This was a memorable day thanks to a great guide and beautiful scenery and villages. Fatima is an excellent guide and has a really good understanding of the history, culture and environment of the Schist villages. She brought the villages to life for us. There was just my wife and me and due to our mobility issues Fatima modified the tour to suit us and we didn’t miss anything. Lunch was great. The tour is at a good pace. The villages are beautiful, the Schist stone has colours and textures that just draw you in. All in all we had a wonderful day and do not hesitate in recommending this tour and any tour run by Adventurs Forte.

This full day experience included three Schist villages, lunch in Lousa, a strenuous hike with steep climbs, and many available restroom stops. Excelente tour guid, Fatima, who was enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

Sergio is an excellent guide who provided very interesting information about the villages and the area in general. We had a great lunch together in one of the villages. He hiked with us along trails that were beautiful. Overall a great experience and I would strongly recommend it to anyone.

Sergio is the perfect guide for exploring the Schist Villages. His deep knowledge of the history, the few locals who remain, and the surrounding nature made the day unforgettable. The pace was ideal—we visited three unique villages with plenty of time for photos, questions, and quiet appreciation. Candal was our favorite, with charming little streams weaving through stone paths. We ended in Talasnal, sipping Beirão and sharing stories as the sun set. Sergio began the day as our guide but left as a friend. An experience filled with beauty, history, and connection—highly recommended!

My husband and I loved our day with Sergio! He lives in Coimbra, went to the University of Coimbra and was able to give us so much insight into the local culture, university life. Our tour of Gondramaz, Candal and Talasnal was also wonderful. We so enjoyed getting away to the countryside and Lousã mountain areas. Very quiet, peaceful and cool. The villages were mostly deserted and we could wander around at our leisure. No crowds of tourists here! Sergio had so much knowledge about the natural life in the area and he was able to answer most of our questions. Even the ones my botanist husband asked. Lunch was in Lousã village and we thoroughly enjoyed eating the local specialties. Overall, I highly recommend taking a tour with Sergio and his tour company. Sergio was professional, relaxed and personable, and very knowledgeable. I also want to mention that he was an excellent and efficient driver. The mountain roads were very narrow, windy, with steep drops off to the side, but I felt very safe driving with Sergio. Obrigada!

We had a wonderful day with Sergio. He was a great guide and very knowledgeable. We really enjoyed the walk through the forest and the villages. Prior to the walk in the afternoon we had had a shower of rain which made the path very slippery in places but Sergio was very attentive and made sure we were safe. We had a lovely afternoon tea at the end of the walk which was included

Sergio Forte of Aventuras Forte have my wife and I a full day tour with walk to Louisa and the Schist villagers. He is one of the best if not the best tour guides I have ever had. His knowledge about Portuguese history, botany, geography, ornithology, culture etc etc were not exhausted after 8 hours of fascinating conversation and sight seeing. The Schist villages were in gorgeous landscapes and it was educational and helpful to see several—very different. Seeing one is not enough. He also introduced us to an outstanding restaurant in Louisa for a long Bach of goat meat and wild boar cooked in traditional ways. He even introduced us to several different species of salamander in a medieval water structure. With Sergio and Aventuras Fortes you can be confident in a wonderful and unique experience, highly recommended.

We had a great day with Sergio! We really appreciated his knowledge of the local flora and fauna, as well as the history of the area. The trails and villages are beautiful. He recommended a great restaurant for lunch that served delicious local dishes (chanfana and wild boar). I would definitely recommend a guided hike with Sergio.

What a great experience this was! Sergio was our guide and he was so knowledgeable about the area. The hike was beautiful and in the morning it was so quiet and peaceful. The villages were fun to explore and the whole tour felt like a very unique, like a side of Portugal that many travelers overlook. I would highly recommend! One tip to pass along- if it looks like there is no availability when you check the tours online, email Adventure Forte Tours directly. They were flexible with us and able to accommodate our schedule.