Finding a cool place to hike in June can be a tall order in Portugal. Temperatures in most places are quite hot around this time of year. Luckily, while looking for a nice place to go hike this past weekend, we found Buçaco National Forest.
Buçaco National Forest is about a 2-hour drive from Lisbon. Believe me when I say that the long drive was completely worth it! Buçaco offers great trails, and several fun historical monuments throughout, including a former palace turned into luxury hotel!
A Bit Of History
Buçaco National Forest (Mata Nacional do Buçaco) is nestled in the central region of Portugal near the town of Luso. The forest is a remarkable natural and historical sanctuary that spans over 100 hectares. Its origins date back to the early 17th century when Carmelite monks established a walled retreat here, enclosing the forest to create a spiritual haven. They planted exotic species, built chapels and hermitages, and laid out a network of mossy paths and fountains. In 1643, a papal decree even forbade anyone from cutting down the trees, under threat of excommunication. This decree helped preserve the forest’s lush biodiversity. Today, Buçaco remains a protected national forest, and is managed by the Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas (ICNF).
The forest is home to more than 250 species of trees and plants, both native and exotic, including centuries-old cypresses, ferns, and enormous Himalayan deodars. The Carmelites introduced species from around the world. Nineteenth-century botanists did too, making it a living museum of global flora. The microclimate, enriched by frequent mists and abundant springs, supports dense vegetation and a tranquil, almost enchanted atmosphere. Buçaco National Forest is not only a refuge for biodiversity but also a cultural and historical treasure.
In the 1622, another papal order, this time issued by Pope Urban VIII, prohibited women from entering the Buçaco forest. This decree was part of the broader effort to maintain the sanctity of monastic life. Breaking it was considered a serious offense, punishable by excommunication. The rule remained in place for centuries!
The Hike
We started our hike in the town of Luso. Alternatively, you could start at the Palace Hotel, but you’ll have to pay a fee to park in their lot.
Before setting off on our hike, we grab a delicious snack at Rosa Biscoito. This cafe is located in what used to be the coffee shop for the casino back in 1876-1886. The interior is beautiful, and definitely worth a visit. They also have a very peaceful and shaded patio.
Originally we set out to complete a 4-mile hike in Buçaco Forest starting at Rosa Biscoito. We followed the Luso-Viewpoints Santa Cruz do Buçaco Convent trail on the AllTrails app. One of the many things I love about this app is that it shows all other trails in the area. This allows you to customize your hike when needed. For example, we decided to cut the hike short and were easily able to modify our loop.
Scattered throughout the forest are small chapels, the Via Sacra (a series of shrines that depict the Stations of the Cross), the Santa Cruz Convent ruins, and the imposing Cruz Alta viewpoint, which offers sweeping views of the Serra do Buçaco and beyond. Our plan was to reach the Cruz Alta and loop from there. However, the warm weather combined with the stop-and-go nature of this hike, led us to cut it short.
Highlights And Points Of Interest
Overall the hike was pretty dynamic, which kept the kids happy despite having to climb lots of stairs along the way. To add to the magic of this place, we saw dozens of butterflies of all colors, a couple of frogs, and even an Iberian grass snake!
Along the trail, the highlights were the first pond we encountered. This little pond had a small wooden bridge that takes you to an even smaller island in the middle of the lake.
After the pond we walked through a bamboo forest and next to a spring to reach the Fonte Fria. This beautiful fountain is what drew me to this park. This fountain is a mosaicked stairway with a waterfall flowing through the middle. The waters eventually reach a lake surrounded by beautiful trees. The Fonte Fria was were we saw the most people. Other than that, we had the trail pretty much to ourselves most of the time!
We enjoyed finding the small chapels along the way. Some of them housed sculptures depicting different station of the cross. After a short climb, we arrived at the Miradouro de Caifaz. This stone tower has a very (VERY) narrow staircase that leads you to the top. The view from there is spectacular!
From there we continued to the Portas de Coimbra. Originally built in 1630, this was the main entrance to the forest, it underwent changes and repairs in 1831 and 1866. It is here that you’ see’ll find the Papal decrees I mentioned before.
We left the best for last and arrived at the Palacio Hotel de Buçaco at the end of our hike. Unfortunately, we were unable to visit the interior of the palace/hotel. We had planned on grabbing a refreshment at the hotel restaurant after finishing the loop in the forest. However, by the time we arrived, the restaurant was only serving lunch so we decided to give it a try another time.
The Palácio Hotel do Buçaco, is a neo-Manueline palace built in the late 19th century as a royal hunting lodge. It has now been transformed into a luxury hotel. Designed by the same architect who also contributed to the famous Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, the palace is an architectural fantasy set against a backdrop of towering trees.
After a quick snack stop at the kiosk outside the palace, we walked the final stretch back to town where we had parked our car. Fortunately, the entire way back was downhill, so everyone was a happy hiker.
Luso’s Water
When we arrived in Luso, we walked past a water fountain where lots of people were gathered filling up large water bottles. We looked it up and learned that Luso’s waters have been treasured for centuries due to their purity, lightness and natural healing properties! On the way back to the car, we made sure to fill up both our water bottles at the fountain!
This spring water begins its journey as rainfall, slowly filtering through layers of quartzite rock over the course of nearly a thousand years. Deep underground, it becomes naturally enriched with silica and bicarbonate, giving it a slightly acidic pH and an exceptionally low mineral content—so pure, in fact, it’s considered suitable for infant consumption. Officially recognized in the 18th century and commercially bottled since 1894, Luso water has long been praised for its therapeutic benefits, particularly for the skin, kidneys, and respiratory system. Today, the spring is strictly protected within a 16-kilometer conservation zone, and the surrounding forest ecosystem continues to play a vital role in maintaining its unique character.
After grabbing lunch and a refreshment, we started our way back to Lisbon. On our way back, we stopped at Conimbriga Roman ruins. We had been wanting to visit this archeological site, and it worked great to do it after our hike at Buçaco Forest!
To learn more about our travels, click here. If you want to read more about places to visit in Portugal, click here.
