Casal de S. Simão Trail – PR1 FVN (+ São Simão pathways)

Last Updated on 2025-08-09 by Jorge Bastos

The São Simão trail has everything we love on a trail. It has the proper distance, is circular, and features several attractions spread along the way. It’s not too crowded, and most importantly, it boasts extraordinary natural beauty.

This is a trail that can be done both ways, and it has two possible starting points, the schist village of São Simão and the cliffs/ river beach. We decided to start in the town and do the itinerary counterclockwise. So, that’s the trail we will describe below.

Trail quick information

Casal de São Simão

The small village of Casal de São Simão is located in Figueiró dos Vinhos in the center of Portugal. It is not only a member of the “Aldeias de Xisto” (Schist Villages) network, but also one os the most beautiful and most charismatic. One can perfectly see that the village was recovered and preserved with love.

This is a typical one-street village where the traditional houses are very close to each other and built along a quartzite crest. This will be our starting point.

Trail of Casal de São Simão

The trail starts in the village of Casal de São Simão. From there, you have to choose whether to go clockwise (turn left) or counterclockwise (continue in front). We did it counterclockwise and suggest you do the same. That’s the itinerary we will describe below. While you leave the village, you immediately enter a lush green forest and continue descending until reaching and crossing the small stream Ribeira de Fato.

From now on, the trail follows the stream, continuing to descend. At the same time, you get to enjoy the many small cascades, the “veredas” (old paths), and most importantly, the rich riparian vegetation. The green from the vegetation completely floods our eyes.

After about one km descending, you’ll reach the cutting point, where you need to choose if you want to continue on the main path or cut directly to Além da Ribeira. This is perfectly signed, as it is most of the path. If you turn left, you’ll go on the cut; if you turn right, you’ll continue on the main path.

As we are describing the complete itinerary, we suggest you turn right and continue descending (mostly). The path continues more or less like this for another kilometer, following the stream and then the larger river. There are some very short and easy climbs, but nothing hard.

After about 2.4 km from the beginning, you’ll reach Brás Curado Bridge, where you’ll cross the river and start heading back. There you’ll take an old levada (mini water canal) until reaching Além da Ribeira. Besides the traditional levada, this part of the path itinerary doesn’t have many attractions, but it’s enjoyable to hike.

After reaching the village of Além da Ribeira, you need to head to the picnic area and then to São Simão cliffs. The cliffs are really impressive, and they also host the river beach. It’s the perfect place to rest, eat something, and if it’s hot, dive into the clear water of the river beach. Oh, and take lots of pics.

After this, you are very close to the final destination, the schist village of Casal de São Simão. It’s less than 1 km, but it’s continually climbing. It’s the most challenging part of the whole trail. During this final stretch, take time to notice the many cork trees along the way.

São Simão Lookout

Besides the Schist village, the river beach, and the cliffs, there’s one final destination that you cannot miss: São Simão lookout. This is slightly outside the trail. You can easily go there by following the road that leads to the beach until you reach the wooden pathways. You can either take the pathways or continue on the road; either way, they both lead to the lookout.

Or you can drive there after returning to the village. That’s what we did because from the lookout, you have to return to the beach. There’s no shortcut from the lookout to the town on foot.

On the lookout, the view is beautiful, both of the village and the cliffs. It’s the best place to appreciate the schist village and the quartzite crest where it was built.

The new São Simão wooden pathways

A new wooden pathway is being built connecting the lookout and the beach. These pathways will open during 2020, and in a second phase, they will connect the beach to the schist village.

In general, we enjoy the pathways concept and particularly love hiking on wooden pathways. However, these pathways must be useful, whether for accessing areas that would otherwise be inaccessible or for allowing visits to sensitive areas.

Unfortunately, what we saw in these pathways didn’t match our criteria. The itinerary of the built pathways could be perfectly done without pathways, using the road that links the lookout and the beach. So, now the only thing these walkways bring is visual pollution in an area of rare beauty, but let’s wait until the whole project is completed to have a final opinion.

Is the trail family-friendly?

The whole area is perfect for family travel, suitable for both children and the elderly. The village, the cliffs, the lookout, and the beach are all very easy to reach and walk around. The beach even has a lifeguard.

The trail isn’t technically challenging, nor does it have very long climbs. The worst part of the trail is the last section between the beach and the village, but with some effort, it’s manageable for almost everyone. We even saw a few families with children doing the trail. Plus, if you think it’s too much, you can always cut it and make it much shorter.

What to take?

• Water (at least 1L per person);
• Snacks;
• Comfortable hiking or running shoes;
• comfortable clothes;
• rain jacket if it’s winter;
• sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen if it’s sunny;
• Wear a swimsuit if it’s warm enough to dip into the beautiful river beach.
• camera and smartphone, there are plenty of photo opportunities there;
• A daypack to carry all your essentials.

As always, please do not make any trash. Bring back everything you take with you.

How to go to the trail?

Although it appears and feels secluded, Casal de São Simão is surprisingly easy to reach. It’s only 2 km from the A13 highway. From there, you need to use exit 24 to Castelo Branco, and then turn to Aguda/Fato. Afterward, follow the signs for Casal de São Simão, and you’ll arrive in 2 minutes.

Alternatively, search for “Casal de São Simão” in Google Maps or GPS for a direct route.

Where to stay?

The schist village of Casal de São Simão is a great option. It’s rustic, typical, and very charming. You can see the lodging available there on the village’s website.

Besides this, there are plenty of options in the cities and villages surrounding Casal de São Simão. Hotel Rota Malhoa in Figueiró dos Vinhos is a good option for those looking for a budget hotel, or Hotel da Montanha in Pedrógão Pequeno if you prefer a little more comfort.

We ended up staying at House of the Three Marias, in a small village next to Pedrogão and very close to Mosteiro (another schist village with a lovely river beach), and the experience was enjoyable. The place is calm and the English owners are very nice. We will stay there when revisiting this area.

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