Casal de São Simão is tucked away in the Serra da Lousã, in the district of Leiria, and belongs to the Aldeias do Xisto network, a group of remote villages scattered throughout the country’s interior. Unlike most of its neighbors, however, this village is not built of schist: its houses are constructed of quartzite, which gives the village an earthy, lustrous hue that makes it unique and sets it apart even within the network itself. From Lisbon, the drive takes about two hours, which is perfect for both a day trip and a night away from the city.
The village is believed to date back to medieval times and, like so many others in the region, gradually emptied out over the course of the 20th century. Today, the story is different. Five of its 23 houses are inhabited year-round, giving Casal de São Simão a livelier feel than many other schist villages in the area. This revival is thanks to people who left the cities and rebuilt these houses with their own hands, choosing to stay and breathe new life into a place that seemed doomed to disappear.
That sense of community became especially evident after the devastating fires of 2017. Residents organized to protect the village from future fires, creating firebreaks and small ponds to supply water and lower surrounding temperatures, while gradually replacing the most flammable vegetation with native species that are more resistant to flames.
A contemporary restaurant in an ancient village
At the top of the hill, overlooking the village rooftops, sits Varanda do Casal, the most modern building in the area and also the only restaurant. Known for its goat roasted in Port wine, served with xerém and seasoned with hints of chocolate, cardamom, cinnamon, and anchovies, the dish takes a hearty regional dish and transforms it into a more aromatic and refined experience. Olive oil and olives from Sicó, bread baked in a nearby village, and a wine list featuring selections from three neighboring regions (Beira Interior, Bairrada, and Dão) round out the experience. The same building also houses a small “Aldeias do Xisto” shop, where herbal teas, jams, honey, and local handicrafts are sold.
Hiking with a stop for a swim
The best way to explore the surroundings of Casal de São Simão is on foot. The Caminho do Xisto is a 5.1-kilometer circular trail that passes by the village’s main points of interest.
From the village, the trail descends about 600 meters to a river beach, where the crystal-clear Ribeira de Alge winds its way between narrow, steep cliffs— the Fragas de São Simão—forming natural pools that attract swimmers during the hot season. It is also along this stretch that you’ll find the only lodging in the area, the Moinho das Fragas, an old watermill converted into a cozy one-bedroom apartment, just a few steps from some of the best spots for swimming. From there, you can turn back along the same path or continue southwest, passing an old watermill that is still occasionally put into operation, before the trail heads south through remnants of laurel forest and turns north again, passing small villages and extensive eucalyptus groves, until you return to Casal de São Simão.
A chapel, a painter, and a biblical landscape
Near the village, almost at the top of Monte de São Simão, stands the Ermida de São Simão, a chapel believed to date from the 15th century and considered the oldest religious site in the municipality of Figueiró dos Vinhos. It’s usually closed, but a path around the back leads to a series of elevated platforms overlooking the Fragas de São Simão, on the other side of the village.
The landscape has long inspired more than just hikers. At the turn of the 20th century, the painter José Malhoa roamed these hills in search of a landscape that could evoke the biblical Jordan River, while preparing a major work depicting the baptism of Christ for the altarpiece of the Mother Church of Figueiró dos Vinhos. Some art historians believe that it is precisely Monte de São Simão that appears in the final painting, which can still be seen in the church today.
It’s a small place that you can explore in an afternoon, but between the natural pools, the village’s only good restaurant, and a chapel with its own artistic history, Casal de São Simão has a way of making a single street seem more than enough.
Useful Information
Distance from Lisbon: about a 2-hour drive
Where to eat: Varanda do Casal, the village’s only restaurant
Where to stay: Moinho das Fragas, a converted old watermill, next to the
river beach
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