What‘s Included

Meeting and Pickup

What To Expect

Reviews

• Shale villages with Mónica and her passionate look for nature

  Fearless56343234127,

  Nov 26, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  12 Nov 2025, a rainy day that Mónica has turned into an unforgettable experience. All shale villages have a peculiar beauty and autumn with its colors contrasting with shale stones transports us to a unique and magical place. We adored the little tourist villages and that therefore retain their true essence. Mónica’s vast historical knowledge combined with the feelings of those who have real pleasure in what she does, convey us her true passion for nature and animals. It involved us in the distant and present times of the families who still live there. Treat the villages for yourself and the kindness with which treats the community that lives there make it part of the place. I found Mónica's idea to organize private visits brilliant. I went with my husband, we were just us and the visit became even more special in our time. Answered all our questions and still took us photos 😊 The sympathy, kindness, attention, the easy and genuine smile were the cherry on top of the cake. † We will be back in the spring with Monica to whom we wish much success in the profession she chose. Continue to be the beautiful person you are.

• Great guide; great tour.

  Y1212ZBsandral,

  Oct 21, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Monica was a knowledgeable and helpful guide, and the tour was interesting given the history of the villages. It was a great learning experience and fun. We highly recommend Monica and the tour.

• Schist Village immersion

  perryjm2022,

  Oct 16, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Mónica is a fantastic guide with a huge amount of knowledge of the schist villages. She is incredibly generous with her time and helped my elderly mom feel comfortable as well, making sure that she had a shaded place to rest while my wife and I explored. Her explanations of the origins of the villages as well as her close relationships allow her to bring a lucky few people to truly see the beauty of the area and the people that live there. This is a great change of pace from the bustle of Coimbra and I can’t give a higher recommendation.

  

  

  

  

  

• Schist Villages tour

  Justin P,

  Oct 15, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  The Schist Villages tour was really great and a nice change of pace from the other experiences we have had in Coimbra, Lisbon, Nazare, etc. Our guide, Monica, was the absolute best and was very knowledgeable about each of the villages that we visited. We walked through four villages and in each one Monica was pointing out interesting things and talking with local residents that she is friends with. As a part of our group, we were traveling with an older family member and Monica was very attentive to their needs and comfort with the walking paths. Highly recommend this tour if you are looking for something a little different and want to experience a different part of Portuguese culture that is more relaxing than the usual tourist attractions.

• Wonderful Schist Villages tour

  Amy P,

  Oct 6, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Mónica is a wonderful tour guide. There was four of us in the group and she did a great job keeping us all engaged. She shared relevant stories growing up in nearby area and is very passionate about sharing the rich history of Coimbra. I highly recommend Mónica.

  

  

  

  

  

• Very Enjoyable

  Fiona G,

  Oct 2, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  This is the perfect tour for people who prefer a small, personalised activity. Mónica is a wonderful guide who genuinely cares about the places she takes us to and the people who live and work there. Her knowledge of the history is excellent and she happily shares this with her guests. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the villages and Mónica was very accomodating of our schedule. Can highly recommend for anyone who wants to avoid mass tourism and learn from a local passionate about her country and people!

• Monica and the Schist Village tour

  Cheryl B,

  Aug 26, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Monica is a very sweet person, we enjoyed spending the day with her. And she has a great deal of knowledge about the area. She was easily able to change the tour just a bit due to fires in some of the villages we were to visit, as she wanted to make sure we had a memorable tour. Wishing you all the best! Cheryl B.

• The Perfect Day Trip

  E8767WKsarahc,

  Aug 10, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Mónica was amazing - I learned so much on this tour. She was professional, kind, thoughtful of my experience, and so knowledgeable of the areas we visited. This was highlight of my whole Portugal trip! I would absolutely recommend and even return for another visit. Thank you, Mónica!

  

  

  

  

• Extra visits

  Mobile48887688841,

  Aug 6, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  I loved it!!! A Different Experience, Off That Third Party Beaten I strongly advise anyone wanting to discover a more authentic side of the country and closer to the lives of the gents

  

  

• Awesome day with Monica.

  Explorer57564940672,

  Jul 3, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Monica's knowledge and enthusiasm made this one of the most interesting and enjoyable tours we've been on Especially the cooling river pool swim when the temp was 40C. A great experience.

• Load more reviews