twenty metres of waterfall, two hundred from the car
You park by the road and walk 200 metres down a schist-paved path. When you get there, it's 20 metres of water falling through a crack in the mountain. The Cascata da Fraga da Pena is the result of a geological accident, in the middle of the Paisagem Protegida da Serra do Açor.
The main drop isn't the only one. The Barroca das Degrainhas feeds it from above, and if you climb a steep staircase you find smaller falls that form pools. The water is cold and the sun only reaches there for a short time, so the place stays cool even in August. There's an old mill halfway down and picnic tables.
The Mata da Margaraça, where the waterfall sits, is part of the Paisagem Protegida da Serra do Açor. The schist, chestnut trees and arbutus explain the coolness that doesn't give way even at the height of summer. The PR1 AGN trail starts here and runs 2.5 km to the nearest village, partly following the Caminho do Xisto de Benfeita. If you have time, do the circuit; the sound of water follows you all the way.
good to know
- 20-metre main drop, with smaller waterfalls up a staircase
- 200 metres from the car park to the waterfall, on a schist-paved path
- in the paisagem protegida da serra do açor, in the mata da margaraça
- slippery when wet; cold water and cool spot even in august
