one street, one beach, and malhoa looking for the jordan
The village has one street. Literally: 23 houses line up on either side of a single street, at the top of a quartzite ridge at the Fragas de São Simão, in Figueiró dos Vinhos. It's in an elevated position, and from the end of the street you can see the landscape drop away vertically.
What drops are the Fragas: vertical quartzite rock faces dozens of metres high, with the Ribeira de Alge passing through the narrow opening between them. Down below is the Praia Fluvial das Fragas de São Simão, where the water forms natural pools, one of the most beautiful in the country. It's connected to the village by a boardwalk of around 1.7 km, and the same walkway carries on to a viewpoint. Three adjoining spots: village, viewpoint, beach.
There's also a detail you can't see. At the turn of the 20th century, when he received the commission for the altarpiece of the Igreja Matriz of Figueiró dos Vinhos, painter José Malhoa came to walk these hills looking for a landscape that could pass for the River Jordan. Art historians believe that what appears painted in that altarpiece is the hill of São Simão. You'll know if you come here with the painting in front of you; if not, it'll keep for next time.
good to know
- one-street village, with 23 houses lined up on either side
- elevated position on a quartzite ridge at the fragas de são simão
- praia fluvial das fragas de são simão 15 min on foot along the boardwalk (around 1.7 km), with natural pools
- fragas: vertical quartzite rock faces dozens of metres high, with the ribeira de alge passing between them
- josé malhoa painted his version of the river jordan here, for the altarpiece of the igreja matriz de figueiró dos vinhos
