Mata do Buçaco

May 7, 2023 | Days in the Sun, Living in Portugal

Days in the Sun | A walk through the Buçaco National Forest

Mata do Buçaco (Busacco National Forest) is home to one of Portugal’s finest national monuments and exquisite example of Manueline architecture – O Palácio do Buçaco. The palace hotel sits at the heart of the Buçaco Forest, a few minutes walk from the historic spar town of Luso, known for its thermal springs and pure mineral water. It’s a delightful Portuguese town to wander and savour.

Buçaco isn’t far from us here at Casa Grande. In-fact, it’s on our weekly grocery shop route, so we pass it frequently. In our first year in Portugal, we passed it many times without realising what lay within the forest boundary. With family visiting us, we decided to explore. We fell in love!

On our first trips, we entered the forest in our car, for which there was a €5 charge. It’s good value. The money goes into the upkeep of the forest grounds, botanical gardens and facilities. There is a cafe selling snacks, ice cream, drinks and food, and a small gift shop to the rear of the palace hotel. There are also WC facilities should nature call!

The Buçaco Palace Hotel

The building was designed in the last quarter of the 19th century by the Italian set designer Luigi Manini. It has also been worked on since then by other architects; Nicola Bigaglia, Manuel Joaquim Norte Júnior and José Alexandre Soares. It is something to behold and if you are interested in art history and architecture, it’s worth understanding the motifs and symbols carved into the stone.

Manuelino is the style that marks the Portuguese artistic and architectural shift away from the late Gothic during the reign of King Manuel I, between 1469 and 1521. As you explore Portugal, you’ll learn to seek out and recognise the style and symbolism in this style of architecture across the country.

Buçaco is already a favourite

We have walked around Mata do Buçaco (Bussaco Forest) a few times now. Twice on family trips and again this weekend with our new family of friends, The Mortágua Walkies. This time we took a different route from our usual trail, walking from Luso instead of driving into the forest first. It’s better as you see more of the flora and fauna. Every drop of nature is worth it!

The Mortágua Walkies

Parts of this route were new to us and so it was another great day of beauty and discovery. We approached from the direction of Luso centre and walked a direct route up in to the forest. It was wet but that didn’t dampen the spirits. Although it was a 10am start you could already feel the warmth of the day approaching as the clouds, mist and rain quickly cleared.