Cerdeira: A Hidden Schist Village in the Lousã Mountains

2025-02-06

Are you looking for suggestions on what to see and do in Cerdeira, the Schist village in the Serra da Lousã? Then you’ve come to the right place, as I have a few tips to share with you.

After all, anyone who has been following us for a while will have noticed that our family is particularly fond of exploring rural environments.

And our Schist Villages are great suggestions for family outings, which is why we want to visit them all.

So, if you feel the same way about exploring deeper Portugal, at the end of this post you’ll find a list of the schist villages in the Serra da Lousã.

So join us on another journey through rural Portugal and we hope you’ll feel motivated to explore these and other gems of our country.

👉 Check out how much it costs to rent a car in Portugal.

Cerdeira Schist Village

It’s a pleasure to walk through the village of Cerdeira, as you can clearly see how carefully the houses have been restored.

What’s more, compared to the other schist villages in the Serra da Lousã, Cerdeira is one of the smallest.

Cerdeira has one advantage over other schist villages: it’s a village where people live, which I like a lot.

That’s because as I walked around watching and taking photos, I saw that some of the inhabitants were looking out of the window. Others, a little later, came to talk to us, which made the visit all the more special.

Like the other Schist Villages we’ve visited, Cerdeira is small, so you don’t need much time to explore it if you’re just passing through.

It was easy for us to leave the car parked next to the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Fátima and walk to the village. The roads in Cerdeira don’t allow car traffic.

Capela Nossa Senhora de Fátima (Our Lady of Fátima Chapel).

Panoramic view of the Schist Village of Cerdeira.

In winter, chimneys blow smoke out of houses all day long.

What to see and do in the village of Cerdeira?

Although there are many reasons to visit Cerdeira, what I like most about the village is simply looking at the schist houses and the walks in the Serra da Lousã.

The good news is that Cerdeira is connected to Candal (another schist village) via the PR3LSA, a 2.8 km trail in the middle of Lousã.

However, to make the experience even more interesting, when you’ve finished exploring the village, don’t forget to spend half an hour walking down the ravine to the Ribeira da Cerdeira.

Blue windows in the Schist Village of Cerdeira.

The PR3-LSA is a route that connects two schist villages: Candal and Cerdeira.

Where to stay in this Schist Village

This is an experience we highly recommend: staying overnight in Cerdeira, because the tranquillity here is incredible.

Therefore, my recommendation is Cerdeira – Home for Creativity, which consists of several country houses where you can stay overnight.

Schist houses in the village of Cerdeira.

Visiting the Schist Villages of Serra da Lousã: Cerdeira.

Are there restaurants in this village?

Unfortunately I didn’t see any restaurants in Cerdeira, but the cottages are equipped with a kitchen, so you can prepare meals in the accommodation.

Map and How to get to Cerdeira?

To reach the schist village of Cerdeira from Lisbon, take the A1 highway north and exit onto the A13 towards Figueira da Foz.

Continue towards Lousã and follow the signs to Cerdeira. The village is situated around 8 km from Lousã, and you’ll need to follow some narrow, winding roads to get there.

If traveling from Porto, take the A1 south towards Coimbra, then take the exit for Lousã on the A13.

Once in Lousã, continue on the road to Cerdeira. The village is well-signposted from Lousã, and the scenic drive through the mountains makes it a memorable journey.

👉 Check out how much it costs to rent a car in Portugal.

From Porto:

From Lisbon: