Hidden in the mountains, in the heart of Portugal, you will find the most charming village of all: Talasnal.
Talasnal is what dreams are made of. At least my dreams! Remote & hidden, small & beautiful beyond belief, quiet, surrounded by pristine nature… Talasnal checks all the boxes and more, for a perfect escape from the buzzing world.
Note: there are affiliate links down below for the best place to stay in Talasnal. if you decide to book through such links, I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
I could totally see myself retreating there for a week or more, to write & work on my projects or just relax, hike and meditate.
To reach Talasnal requires to drive on typical mountains roads: small winding roads that can sometimes be frightening high. It takes about one hour from Coimbra to reach Talasnal. The nearest ‘big’ town is Lousã. Your GPS might say it will only take 25 minutes to reach it but it took us a good 40 minutes!
When arriving at destination, your car must be parked on the sole parking area of the village, located just at the entrance.
It was a happy surprise to see that no cars were allowed, anywhere else. Technically, most streets wouldn’t be accessible anyway, they are just too small but additional surrounding streets could have been created and it is great that it wasn’t the case. No car noice in the village is a blessing.
The main village square is ahead of you with a little restaurant on the left and another little shop on the right. Walk down the stairs circling the square’s fountain and you are already in the heart of the village!
Go ahead, explore the little streets, climb those stairs, turn around, enjoy the view! Everywhere you look, there is magic.
All the houses of the village have been redone in their original state with the addition of modern commodities. All are made of schist stone which give the village this incredible look and color.
As you walk dow in Talasnal, you will find some houses that have still not been rebuilt. An old mill here, some smaller storage buildings there… These ruins add to the charm of the place…. but…
Magic is what happens when the evening approaches…
Talasnal is charming by day but the true magic happens when the evening approaches and the few tourists, who came for the day, have gone. The village becomes a quiet heaven where all you can hear is the trickling water of the fountain, the birds chirping and the whisper of the leaves rustling delicately, as the breeze gently blows through the narrow streets.
As the sun sets in the valley, offering a grandiose spectacle reserved for the few remaining habitants of the village, the cats wake up from their slumber and roam the now empty streets.
Go ahead, explore again the village that is almost all yours now. Marvel to the beauty of the sunset light on every stone, every wooden beam.
If you dare, you can follow one of the little paths that take you out of the village, into the woods. You may find yourself following the river down below to what seemed to be a former wash house. Go back to the village before night falls. Who knows what mysteries may be found in the dark valley!
The prettiest guest house of all
If I’ve managed to make you want to explore Talasnal, then you need to stay at Casa do Ti Toninho. It is undoubtedly the prettiest & most charming guest house of the village.
Casa do Ti Toninho is located at the bottom of the village and offers incredible views on the valley and the village. A lot of the pictures above were taken from the terrace!
It is a cute little 3 stories high house. The fully equipped kitchen is on the lower ground floor, which give access to an additional private terrace. The ground floor is for the living room and is tastefully decorated and so cosy. There are 2 bedrooms on the 1st floor with the main bedroom being equipped with a huge, super comfy, bed. The owners were so nice too. Well, everything was perfect, really!
And yes, I forgot to take pictures but you can see some on Booking!
I even forgot to take pictures of my new kitty friends! So that says a lot about how relaxed and out of this world I was!
You must have realized that I don’t often recommend hotels or other sorts of accommodations. When I do, it’s because I really really really loved it. That should tell you a lot about Casa do Ti Toninho!
You can check this list of articles on my previous hotels’ recommendation if you don’t believe me!! It’s thin!
Things to know before you go
As mentioned above, to reach Talasnal, you need to drive on typical mountain roads. Contrary to what I’m accustomed to in French mountains, drivers in Portugal seemed a lot more relaxed than French ones. There was very little traffic anyway, when I was there and most importantly no crazy drivers.
Do bear in mind that if someone wants to pass you, you should make it easy for them. Pull over using one of the small side road ‘parking’ areas to enable them to pass.
Be careful on the road, there are cyclists, hikers and the mountains have a lot of deers and boars who might, sometimes, want to cross!
Talasnal is not going to be easy to access with a trolley or a wheelchair. If you have difficulty walking, some areas with a lot of steps or uneven paths might be inaccessible.
There are very nice restaurants in Talasnal. Some require booking in advance to enjoy. Some are perfect to have drink or a snack with a view.
For the ones of you who will be staying a night or 2:
- Please carry your suitcase in the streets. Respect the quietness of the place.
- Bring your hiking shoes & your camera!
- Do make sure you have plenty of food, drinks & snacks so you don’t have to leave to get supplies.
- Don’t forget your essentials like a little emergency kit, your medication, a good book or 2, sunscreen, bug spray…
- Music is optional, enjoy the silence instead!
Pin this for later
