Serra do Açor is one of the many hills we have been up in Portugal. It is located in the middle of the Schist villages (Aldeias do Xisto), which are a network of 27 traditional, historic and almost abandoned (some with as much as 5 inhabitants) villages in Central Portugal, and which houses are built almost entirely with the schist rock, quarried locally. The landscape is protected and hosts pockets of the ancient forests and vegetation- in Portugal. Serra do Açor is located at 1438 m altitude but there is no obvious path up the hill so we had to follow the old maps from IGEO (carta militar) and our own instinct. Fortunately, there is now an Adventure Map for Serras da Lousã and Açor. These maps are essential to navigate in the countryside in Portugal, for which good and updated maps are almost inexistent. The Adventure Maps are topographics map and provide suggestions for hiking trails in the covered areas, some relevant tourist atractions, freshwater beaches and swimming areas, waterfalls, campsites, picnic areas, tourist offices and climbing and hang-gliding spots. We have all available maps created so far and use these maps to find our climbing spots, our own hiking trails and quiet places for water dips. And it is amazing that most villages in Serras- da Lousã and Açor have this hidden treasury at everyone's disposal. It is important to choose the quietest villages, as some have become too touristic and have lost their essence, as for example Piódão, visited once and not to go back.
No comments:
Post a Comment