The Serra da Lousã provides a natural habitat for many deer, wild boars and roe deer, and also harbours many slate villages, where you’ll find a sense of tranquillity that you probably never even dreamt existed.

Highly popular for radical sports, the highest peak in the Serra da Lousã is the Alto do Trevim, one of the region’s finest belvederes. Many watercourses cut across the leafy glades, forming a series of riverside beaches that are perfect for relaxation.

Begin your trip in Candal. Located on a south-facing hill, this beautiful village is located nearby the National Road that links Lousã to Castanheira de Pêra. Walk up the narrow streets that culminate in a belvedere overlooking the valley, where you can appreciate the landscape. Enter the Village Shop in order to recharge your energies with the tasty regional products, purchase some local handicrafts or obtain information about the activities available in the region.

Then visit Talasnal, Casal Novo and Chiqueiro - villages which are interconnected by their common history and culture and above all by the genuine manner in which the local people live.Sense the pulse of these lands, racing through the narrow streets and then venture forth through the surrounding sinuous paths, that wind their way through cork oaks, chestnuts, oaks and pine trees, providing excellent trails for walks and BTT rides.

Continue to Cerdeira. At the entrance to the village, a small stone bridge seems to offer a crossing between the real world and a rich, fantasy world. A cluster of houses can be glimpsed through the trees, in a romantic setting where you’re bound to want to linger. If you hear any noise that awakens you from this spell, it’s likely to come from the “Atelier da Cerdeira”, where wood and slate are transformed into handicraft items.

That’s the reality of day-to-day life in these preserved villages. Come and discover it for yourself.

To help organize your trip, check out the offers of activities and accommodation that the Schist Villages have for you in http://aldeiasdoxisto.pt