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In contrast to traditional tourism, active or sports tourism embraces nature. It helps limit environmental impact: hiking, cycling, running, climbing—these activities perfectly combine visiting preserved natural sites with practicing standard or intense sports. Let’s head to the Aldeias do Xisto in Portugal!
Source: Press Release
The Aldeias do Xisto region, in central Portugal, is an exceptional, preserved territory offering a wide range of tourist and leisure activities in contact with nature. This unique landscape in Portugal offers some of the best facilities in the country for active tourism, from cycling to trail running, canoeing, and climbing. The “sport for all” culture and the quality of the equipment provided by various partners allow for the practice of diverse activities, both for amateurs and professional athletes.
On Foot – An immersion in the heart of the villages
Hundreds of kilometers of trails crisscross the schist villages, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in their nature and culture. The walking trails are short routes, generally circular, starting and ending in the same village. All are duly approved, present different levels of difficulty, and are accompanied by technical and interpretive signage. They can be explored independently, individually, or at a relaxed pace with family.
By Bike – From leisurely rides to major international competitions
In the Aldeias do Xisto, there is a deep culture linked to cycling, which has made it the country’s first Cyclin’ Portugal destination (National Cycling Network). Here, you can test your dexterity and endurance on very demanding technical trails, or simply enjoy a relaxed ride in nature. There are dozens of properly marked trails with different levels of difficulty.
GRZ Grande Route do Zêzere – Crossing a territory of rich environmental diversity
With 370 km in length, the Grande Route do Zêzere follows the river of the same name from its source, in Covão d’Ametade, to its mouth, in Constância, crossing, along 13 municipalities, one of the most environmentally diverse natural areas in the country. Designed to be multimodal, the GRZ route, which passes through important national sites such as Serra da Estrela, the Aldeias do Xisto, Castelo de Bode, and the Tagus River, can be completed on foot, by bike, or by canoe, continuously or in stages.
Trail running – A privileged site where world championships take place
The trail running training center of the schist villages, located in Vila Nova (Miranda do Corvo), offers a set of marked trails – 90 km of trails with 4 levels of difficulty – throughout the municipality, where contact with the Lousã mountain range and the local population is privileged. Miranda do Corvo is also home to the Abutres trail running school, the first trail running training project in Portugal. The Trail Running World Championship, UTAX, Trilhos dos Abutres, Louzantrail, or Benfeita Trail are some of the events that have showcased the potential of this region for practicing this sport.
About
The Aldeias do Xisto (schist villages) network comprises 27 villages in the central region of Portugal, between Castelo Branco and Coimbra, essentially made up of schist mountains. These are part of the territory’s identity and inspired a major rehabilitation project. The villages, in turn, form a region reinventing new ways of doing and being, generating meaning and values. More information: https://www.aldeiasdoxisto.pt
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