Portugal’s hidden tourist gems: nature, water and warfare in Luso and Buçaco | OneFootball

The Algarve has attracted holiday-makers for decades, while destinations such as Lisbon, Porto and Madeira have become a mecca for tourists in recent years, receiving millions of visitors from all over the world. But what about the hidden gems of Portugal?

In a new sub-section of the Tourism articles on offer, we shall explore Portugal’s lesser known but equally fascinating locations.

Today we turn the spotlight on the small town of Luso, just north of the city of Coimbra, and the adjacent National Forest of Buçaco (sometimes spelled Bussaco).

Luso: older than Portugal itself!

Visitors to Portugal may recognise Luso as the most popular brand of water in the country. It is remarkable to think the enormous quantity of bottles bearing the name found in every supermarket, restaurant and café in the land comes from what is basically a sleepy village in the central-northern region of Portugal.

Luso already existed at the time of the Christian conquest of the city of Coimbra in 1064, which was 79 years before the foundation of Portugal. The year 2014 marked 950 years of documented history about the site of Luso – almost a millennium of history with water at the heart of it.

The mountain of Buçaco comprises the richest hydrological complex of Portugal, with special importance attached to the Fonte de São João (St. John’s Fountain) and the hot water spring baths that were first described in 1726. Today, local residents and visitors from afar go to the fountain with empty bottles to fill them up with the natural, unprocessed, mineral water which is known for its remedial qualities.

Filling up bottles with the medicinal mineral water at Fonte de São João (Image: Tom Kundert)

The abundant water sprouting from the fountain is just one source of the precious liquid. Countless springs, canals and a complex of underwater tunnels created the ideal conditions to develop an abundant network of medieval water mills, some of which can still be visited today.

The water mills and their workers helped the neighbouring valleys prosper, transforming wheat and maize into flour so that bread could be made. In the middle of the 19th century industrialisation made the water mills obsolete, and the arrival of rail travel to the region transformed it into a tourism hub.

Thermal Baths

Originating in the lush Serra do Buçaco, the therapeutic properties of Luso Thermal Water have been recognised for centuries. After extensive renovation and modernisation, the historic thermal spa features a pavilion built directly over the thermal spring, and 13 treatment rooms. The new facility remains true to its origins, offering a range of therapeutic activities aimed at preventing and treating various medical conditions.

The facility says: “A variety of treatments are available, delivering a complete relaxation and wellness experience based on a multisensory concept that explores the intimacy and allure of the senses.”

The natural spring baths in Luso (Image: www.termasdeluso.pt)

Buçaco National Forest (Mata Nacional do Buçaco)

Before or after a relaxing day pampering yourself in Luso, a trip to the Buçaco Forest provides an entirely different but equally memorable set of experiences.

The Escadaria da Fonte Fria in Buçaco Forest (Image: Mata do Bussaco Foundation)

The location is all at once an enchanting forest with fairytale-like and wondrous vistas at every turn, home to harmoniously integrated religious architecture, a magnificent palace hotel and the site of one of Portugal’s most heroic and important battles in the fight to maintain its nationhood during the French Napoleonic invasions.

Buçaco Forest is well maintained and efficiently organised. Several thematic trails of differing length and difficulty have been set up to explore the entire area, which is enclosed by a perimeter wall approximately five kilometres in circumference.

The Nature

Buçaco is a dense forest with over 250 species of shrubs and trees, many of an exotic variety brought by Portugal’s explorers from all over the world during the country’s Age of Discoveries. Buçaco has its own micro-climate, whereby mild temperatures and precipitation almost twice the regional average ensures the lush environment is forever rejuvenating itself, and has protected it from the frequent forest fires afflicting other parts of Portugal.

Botanists from all over the world have visited and catalogued the remarkable flora, where towering centenarian trees grow alongside abundant ferns and cypresses, amidst a treasure trove of flora. The frequent morning mists only add to the mystical feel of a unique ecosystem.

The morning mists lends the forest a magical feel (Image: Mata do Bussaco Foundation)

Buçaco Palace Hotel

Originally planned as a royal residence to be built at the site of the Santa Cruz Convent at the end of the 19th century, plans for a sumptuous palace had to be hastily rethought in view of the winds of change. The unstable political climate would soon lead to the demise of the Portuguese monarchy.

Instead, the Palace Hotel of Buçaco was erected, a stunning building designed in Neo-Manueline style evoking some of Portugal’s most famous landmarks such at Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower in Lisbon, in which religious and floral motifs are intertwined with figures alluding to Portugal’s glorious seafaring past. Many of the inner walls are lined with typical azulejo panels depicting scenes from Portuguese literature and history.

A stay at the hotel is not cheap, but if your budget stretches that far, it is the ideal place to base yourself to explore the breathtaking surroundings of Buçaco.

The Buçaço Palace Hotel (Image: Mata do Bussaco Foundation)

The Military History

The Battle of Buçaco was fought on 27 September 1810 when a coalition of Portuguese and British troops were attacked incessantly by an invading French force that greatly outnumbered them. Brilliant tactical manoeuvres enabled the allies to hold their position atop the ridge of the mountain and eventually drive off the invaders.

Many artifacts from the battle are housed in the compact museum five minutes’ walk away from the Porta da Rainha (Queen’s Gate) entry/exit point of Buçaco Forest.

Religious architecture/artifacts

One of the trails is themed “The Way of the Cross” which leads the walker through several chapels, shrines and sacred sites up to the highest point of the Forest: the Cruz Alta (High Cross), from where the entire region can be appreciated in a panoramic view. A perfect way to top off a visit to one of Portugal's lesser known regions.

A colourful Luso-Bussaco mural on the road to Luso (Image: Tom Kundert)