This one i’m going to enjoy writing about, because if there’s one place that keeps pulling me back every year is this one. It’s going to be split up into 3 parts; this post; one entitled “Fisgas de Ermelo – Piocas de cima” and another one entitled “Fisgas de Ermelo – Piocas de baixo” to better focus on each of them.
“Fisgas” has no direct English translation as far as i’m aware, but it’s considered as an opening, or passage, for, in this case, water, that travels from it’s spring, all the way down the mountain creating beautiful streams of water with numerous pools along the way to be discovered.
That being said;
The whole Fisgas de Ermelo experience lives inside the Alvão Natural Park and is composed by 3 main things you should visit, of which 2 are big, beautiful pools of water, Piocas de cima and Piocas de baixo, that you can go, bring along some food and easily enjoy an afternoon there with the occasional sunbathing and … well… normal bathing , and the Fisgas de Ermelo viewpoint, which is really high up and isolated, and where, in the winter, you can see a beautiful stream of water going down the mountain, although, unfortunately, the same cannot be said during summer.
Other than these three things, feel free to explore the amazing views in Alvão Natural Park, there are plenty of landscapes worth admiring. Feel free to take a look the official Fisgas de Ermelo hike’s pamphlet, provided by the municipality of Mondim de basto, that gives you all the information you need to complete the full hike.
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The Serial Sunsetter 