Lousã Mountain

It is a mountain range that uniquely combines the cultural and human aspect of the Aldeias do Xisto, with nature and the leisure possibilities that its landscape provides. It is home to deer, wild boar and roebucks that lurk among cork oaks, chestnut, oak and, of course, pine trees. It is crossed by numerous walking trails/BTT and paths that lead us to St. António da Neve, Alto do Trevim, Castelo da Lousã or Mrs. da Piedade ... not forgetting the river beaches.

The Serra da Lousã, together with the Serra do Açor and the Serra da Estrela, form the most imposing of the mountainous alignments in Portugal: the Cordillera Central. The Serra da Lousã constitutes the southwest end of this mountain range. Being fundamentally schistous and pre-cambrian, it is therefore geologically very old. These mountains also separate the Mondego and Tejo river basins.

The Serra da Lousã covers the municipalities of Lousã, Góis, Castanheira de Pêra, Miranda do Corvo and Figueiró dos Vinhos. It presents steep slopes to the almost flat lands that extend to the northwest. It is deeply grooved by the water lines, with the Ribeira de Pena to the north, the Ribeira de S. João to the northwest, the Ribeira de Pera and the Ribeira de Alge to the south. To the east stands the quartzite ridge of Penedos de Góis. But its highest point is the Alto do Trevim at 1204m.

In the paths of its woods the deer cross with us or make their roar of heat heard far away. The deer also occurs here, but is more difficult to observe. Where autumn has the shades of deciduous hardwood trees. The flowers in the bushes turn to honey.

Serra da Lousã is part of the Natura 2000 Network. With its 15.158 hectares, it covers the flattened peaks of the Serra da Lousã, the quartzite formation of Penedos de Góis (1048 m) and the Mata do Sobral, an area of cork-oaks to the north, in the Serra de Sacões. It covers the highest part of the municipalities of Castanheira de Pera, Figueiró dos Vinhos, Góis, Lousã and Miranda do Corvo.

With its rugged orography and climatic variations, the vegetation is very diverse. The Holm oak occurs in the higher, sunny and dry areas, the cork oak in the sunnier areas and the chestnut and oak trees (Quercus robur and Q. pyrenaica) in the wetter and colder areas. The deeply embedded water lines are associated with well conserved habitats, standing out the communities of Azereiro (Prunus lusitanica) with Holly (Ilex aquifolium), of reliquial character, with great importance for certain species of fauna. Science indicates that the Salamandra lusitanica (Chioglossa lusitanica) had its cradle here. Here also occurs a very significant population of deer (Cervus elaphus) and deer (Capreolus capreolus).