Penedo Furado

The densely wooded Penedo Furado river beach, beautifully placed in the region of Vila Rei, Portugal's geodesic centre, in the EN2, 45 minutes away from Tomar, is a true natural paradise inhabited by several waterfalls. Ideal for families and nature lovers.

This is the most sought after beach resort in the district of Vila de Rei, not only because of the crystal clear water, awarded Gold Quality 2024, that flows slowly along its bed, through a natural channel in the rock, but also due to its facilities. The beach is also highly sought after by campers. The spot is a multi-purpose recreation centre, offering a range of sporting activities, such as hiking, climbing, abseiling, slide or canoeing.

The Penedo Furado belvedere is located on the upper area, offering an unrivalled view over the mountains and hills covered with pine forests, Codes river and Castelo de Bode water reservoir.

On the right side of the belvedere, there is a niche with the image of Our Lady dos Caminhos, after which there is a lateral trail leading to the lower part of the cliff and down to the river beach, via the so-called "Bicha Pintada". The "Bicha Pintada", located on the right bank of the Ribeira do Codes, below the Penedo Furado viewpoint, is a fossil in the top of a 30 cm thick layer of dark grey quartzite which, according to some scholars, is believed to be more than 480 million years old.

Near the Penedo Furado viewpoint, there is the Fragas do Rabadão viewpoint, where there is a via-sacra and a small sanctuary, with statues donated by village folk. The landscape can be viewed as far as the Castelo de Bode reservoir and a trail starts from here and leads to the trail from the previous viewpoint, connecting to the "Bicha Pintada".

The spot also offers the Bufareiras Trail, a linear walking route that ends at the Penedo Furado River Beach and then leads by ancient and mysterious paths to the area of Bufareiras, with its unusual landscape formed by the surrounding rocky massif, with several natural waterfalls - one of the most emblematic highlights of the region.

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