Lousã Mountain Biking

The Serra da Lousã rises straight out of the town of Lousã in central Portugal, 25km south-east of Coimbra, and is one of the country's best-known mountain bike destinations. The Lousã Mountain Bike Centre (Centro de BTT da Lousã, Aldeias do Xisto) publishes ten graded routes, around 110km in total: three short downhill tracks, three enduro descents, two of them over 11km long from the summit of Trevim at over 1,200m, and four cross country loops through the restored schist villages. That adds up to 1 green, 2 blues, 5 reds and 2 blacks. Louzanpark, the rider hub at Cacilhas on the edge of town, has changing rooms, a bike wash, a workshop and a cafe, and local shuttle vans run riders back up the mountain, so it is easy to stack up a lot of descending in a day. The downhill tracks have hosted World Cup and European Championship racing, and the mix of rooty forest singletrack, rocky schist and fast bermed sections makes Lousã worth a few days, especially in spring or autumn.

The Trails

All ten routes are published by the Lousã council, each with a downloadable GPX track, and graded on the centre's own four-colour scale (green, blue, red and black), which runs broadly in line with UK trail centre colours. The council recommends them for riders from 12 years old, and lists every route as rideable all year.

Downhill

• DH 1 (black, 1.5km): finishes on the EN236 mountain road.
• DH 2 (black, 1km): the shortest track, dropping down to the old Prado paper mill.
• DH 3 (red, 1.4km): starts from the EN236 and is the most approachable of the three, though the schist rock still tests grip and line choice.

The downhill tracks above Louzanpark have hosted national and international racing, including the final rounds of the 2020 UCI Downhill World Cup. Expect rocky schist, roots and trees: these are race tracks, best ridden on a downhill or long-travel enduro bike with full-face protection.

Enduro

• EN 1 Avalanche (blue, 11.5km): the easiest way down from the summit of Trevim to Cacilhas, named after the Avalanche mass-start descent race.
• EN 3 Trevim to Cacilhas (red, 12.5km): the longest descent on the map, from the summit to the valley at a harder grade.
• EN 4 EN236 to Cacilhas (red, 4.9km): a shorter enduro run from the mountain road, handy for extra laps.

Cross Country

• XC 9 Terreiro das Bruxas to Chiqueiro (green, 3.7km loop): a gentle introduction up in the serra, starting from the Terreiro das Bruxas picnic area.
• XC 10 Casal Novo to Talasnal (blue, 9km loop): links two of the restored schist villages on the mountainside.
• XC 11 Casal Novo to Vale Nogueira (red, 26.3km loop): a longer, hillier day in the serra.
• XC 12 Aldeias do Xisto (red, 38km loop from Cacilhas): the big one, a demanding full-day tour taking in the schist villages, with plenty of climbing.

Alongside the published routes, the serra holds a wider web of downhill and enduro trails used by local riders and racers, and a local guide is the best way to find them. Trails in the Serra da Lousã can be affected by fallen trees after winter storms, forestry work and fire damage, so check current conditions with Louzanpark or the council before you travel, and download a route or use GPS navigation before you set off on the longer routes.

Admission and Prices

Riding the trails is free. Most visiting riders pay for uplift, because the long enduro descents start from the summit road, so see Guides, Shuttles and Hire below for who runs shuttles, guiding and bike hire.

Guides, Shuttles and Hire

There is no lift at Lousã: uplift is by road, with shuttle vans and bike trailers running from Louzanpark up the EN236 to Terreiro das Bruxas and the summit of Trevim, and the enduro descents bringing you back down to Cacilhas. Louzanpark lists a transport service and guides among its facilities, so it is a good place to ask who is running shuttles during your visit, especially at weekends and around race dates. In the wildfire season, ask your operator how the daily fire-risk restrictions affect which routes it can ride.

• goRide Portugal: shuttle days with guiding and insurance included (from EUR 65), guided enduro rides and skills coaching (from EUR 65), enduro bike hire (EUR 65 a day) and enduro e-bike hire (EUR 80 a day), plus multi-day holiday packages with accommodation (from EUR 350), working across the Serra da Lousã.
• Lousã Bikes: electric mountain bike hire, based at Quinta do Areal in Lousã.
• Louzan MTB: a local shuttle service running riders from Lousã up to Trevim and the top of the serra.

Some of these operators publish little online, so contact them before you travel to check they're running. Prices are correct as of September 2026 but subject to change, so check current rates with the operator.

Getting There from the UK

Porto airport is the closest major airport with regular UK flights, around 150km and just under two hours' drive from Lousã on motorways via Coimbra. Lisbon airport is the other option, around 210km and two and a quarter hours away. Many riders on shuttle packages are collected from one of the two, so ask your operator about transfers when you book.

By rail, fast trains from Lisbon (around one hour 45 minutes) and Porto (around one hour) run to Coimbra. Full-size bikes are only carried on Alfa Pendular trains if dismantled and bagged, while Intercidades services marked for bikes take them free with a bike ticket, so check before you book. From Coimbra, the Metro Mondego electric bus line runs to Lousã in under an hour, but it only takes folding bikes, so riders with a mountain bike need a taxi, a hire car or an operator transfer for the last 30km.

Driving from the UK is a long way round: the ferries from Portsmouth or Plymouth to northern Spain cut out France, leaving around eight hours on motorways through Spain and Portugal to Lousã.

Getting Here

Louzanpark sits at Cacilhas, on the southern edge of Lousã town where the EN236 mountain road starts its climb into the serra. It is the rider hub for the area, with toilets, changing rooms, a bike wash, a self-service workshop, a cafe and an information point, and it is where shuttle runs typically start and the enduro descents finish. The EN236 climbs past the downhill tracks to Terreiro das Bruxas and the summit of Trevim, the main drop-off points for the longer descents.

When to Go

The trails can be ridden all year, but spring (March to early June) and autumn (late September to November) are the best times to go, with mild temperatures and the best dirt. Midsummer is hot and dusty in the valley, and July to September is the wildfire season: on days of very high or maximum fire risk, access to public and community forest land in priority fire-prevention areas can be banned under Portuguese law, so check the daily fire risk before you ride. Winter is mild but wet in the mountains, and the schist rock and roots get very slippery in the rain. Trevim, at over 1,200m, can be cloudy, windy and much cooler than the town, so pack a layer.

Lousã has hosted national and international enduro and downhill racing, including the Fox Enduro Race and the Avalanche mass-start descent, so check the local event calendar before booking: race weekends bring a great atmosphere but can close tracks to other riders and fill the shuttles.

If you are making a longer Portugal trip, Madeira, a short flight from Lisbon or Porto, rides all year, with licensed trails and guided shuttle days from high mountain plateaus towards the sea.

Where to Stay

Lousã town is the obvious base, a few minutes from Louzanpark and the shuttle pick-ups, with shops, restaurants, cafes and a good choice of guesthouses and apartments. For something more memorable, several of the restored schist villages up in the serra, such as Talasnal and Candal, have stone cottages and small guesthouses, a short ride from the trails, though you will need a car. The valley around the town also has rural villas and farmhouses with pools, some of them set up for riders with secure bike storage and wash areas, and several shuttle operators offer accommodation as part of a package. Coimbra, 30 to 40 minutes away, is an option if you want a city base and a car.

Local Organisations

• Montanha Clube: the Lousã mountain sports club that runs Louzanpark, looks after the downhill tracks and organises the town's big enduro, downhill and trail running events. Follow Montanha Clube BTT and Louzanpark on Facebook for trail news and event dates.
• Lousã council (Câmara Municipal da Lousã): publishes the official route pages, GPX files and interactive map for the Lousã Mountain Bike Centre.

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