Museum of Geodesy
Next to Picoto da Melriça, in the Geodesic Center of Portugal, is the Museum of Geodesy, unique in the country.
Inaugurated in 2002 in the ambit of a partnership between the General Direction of the Territory and the City Council of Vila de Rei, it came to fill a gap related to the important historical and scientific legacy left by great names of Portuguese scientists who worked in favor of the national geodesic modernization.
Schedule: Everyday; Morning: 9h00 – 13h00; Afternoon: 14h00 – 17h00; (closed on holidays).
Municipal Museum of Vila de Rei
Installed in the former Casa do Patronato, it was built in one of the oldest houses in the village. The museum was inaugurated in July 2001 and recreates the way of life of a wealthy family of farmers between the 19th and 20th centuries. It also portrays aspects of daily farming life, as well as a whole range of traditional activities and professions, such as the process of wine production, the pig slaughter, the shoemaker’s, blacksmith’s, beekeeper’s, potter’s and even the resin collector’s trades.
Schedule: Monday and Tuesday by contacting the Municipality 4th to Sunday from 9am to 1pm and from 2pm to 5pm (closed on holidays).
Villages Museum
Located in the village of Relva, about 5 km from Vila de Rei, this private initiative museum has a very wide exhibition of various objects related to country life and also has an area where several wild animals can be admired. The museum exhibits, in an educational and contextualized way, collective memory supports, which aim to interpret and make known the daily life and ancestral practices, which today constitute an essential legacy for the understanding of the Portuguese rural world. Agricultural and handicraft working tools, arranged by arts and crafts, which testify to the farmers’ fatigue, the secular art of our craftsmen and in general the culture of the world of our grandparents and great-grandparents.
Schedule: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am/13pm and from 2pm/18pm.
Schedule: Everyday; Morning: 9h00 – 13h00; Afternoon: 14h00 – 17h00; (closed on holidays).
“Lagar da Ferrugenta”
The mill is powered by the force of the water from Ribeira da Galega. The wine press is moved by the force of the water from the Ribeira da Galega. Probably more than two centuries old, it worked with the rod-press or “by blood”, which means that it was moved by the strength of two men. It has a remarkable set of about 80 bins where each customer stored his or her olive harvest before it entered the olive press. In 1953 it gained new equipment and started to have a hydraulic press. In the beginning of the 21st it was restored after being completely destroyed by a forest fire and now hosts temporary exhibitions.
Schedule: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am/13pm and from 2pm/18pm.
Fire and Resin Museum
Located in the historic center of Vila de Rei, the former building of the school delegation, and later IPJ, this space was remodeled and opened its doors on September 19, 2013, aiming to introduce visitors to a unique experience, explaining what fire is, making them travel through time by giving knowledge of the origins of fire and its relationship with man.
Schedule: Wednesday to Sunday 9am – 1pm 2pm – 5pm (closed Monday, Tuesday and holidays).
Penedo Furado River Beach
The characteristics of the rocky massif make this place, heavily forested, a true paradise, offering a set of small waterfalls, visible at a few meters, which can be appreciated by walking through a narrow path carved in the rock. This is the most popular bathing spot in the municipality of Vila de Rei, not only for its crystal clear water that slowly runs down the riverbed, through a natural passage in the rock, but also for its facilities. This place is perfect for family programs as the water is shallow.
Penedo Furado is one of the most mystical places in the region. Myths, tales and legends that people have passed down through generations are also part of the history of this wonderful place and let the popular imagination combine with the beauty of the surrounding area.
Bostelim River Beach
Located on the border between the parish of Fundada and São João do Peso, this beach is one of the newest alternatives of the municipality of Vila de Rei to escape the intense heat of the summer months. Surrounded by hills rich in biodiversity and where you can hardly notice the human presence, the bathing area of Bostelim has the quietness and the proximity to nature as a dominant keynote. The area reserved for bathing is excellent, especially for family programs, being quite safe for children and people who require greater care. Also, the area next to the water line has natural shadows and grassy soil, for the greater comfort of its users.
Zaboeira River Beach
From the top of the mountain where it is located you can see, undaunted and serene, the largest natural water reserve, which owes its existence to the main affluent of the Tagus River, the Zêzere River, where you can listen to the chirping of birds, enjoy quiet boat rides or practice water sports, in addition to the much sought-after summer baths in the floating pool (for adults and children).
Pego das Cancelas River Beach
Distant from any village, the visitor finds in the river beach of Pego das Cancelas the necessary quietness for rest and meditation. Belonging to the parish of São João do Peso, the easy access and the good quality of the water, supported by the bar, first aid, picnic area, parking and solarium give this river beach ideal conditions. The location of the fluvial beach is also favorable for walks, where you can discover wildlife among the almost virgin forest. Besides this, the river waters are also rich in fish fauna, with barbels, bogas and brooks in abundance.
Fernandaires River Beach
Surrounded by high mountains, densely wooded with pine and arbutus trees, and with a small village, the Fernandaires Beach offers its visitors an extensive and splendid water basin, coming from the Castelo de Bode dam. Preserving the pure nature that surrounds it and due to the depth of the water, this place is endowed with a floating pool (for adults and children), as well as bar, changing rooms and parking area. It should be noted that Quercus awards Gold Quality to Fernandaires and Pego das Cancelas.
Bicarola Waterfall
Considering the Town Hall as the starting point, follow the inside of the village, leaving the village from the North (going down the cobblestone until you reach the village stream). Passing by the Football Field, take a unpaved road. efore reaching the village of Lavadouro, take a path on the left. At the end of this path turn left to a road and follow the indications. . When you find a rocky area enjoy the panorama that the Bicarola waterfall offers you.
Fragas do Rabadão Waterfall
This is a well known place in the municipality due to the characteristics of the rock mass, from which a natural passage in the rock stands out, which is why it is called Penedo Furado. A paradisiacal place, it provides the visitor with a set of small waterfalls of great beauty that can be appreciated by walking through a narrow path carved out of the rock. Two viewpoints with direct access to the road, allow you to see this set of waterfalls. The access is made from Vila de Rei, taking the new route of the EN 2 and following until the detour to the village of Milreu that is crossed in all its extension. When you reach a crossroads, turn left, 2000 m later you are at Penedo Furado.
Poios Waterfall
Taking the road to Ferreira do Zêzere, one kilometer further on, on the left, you will find this place which nature has generously endowed. It is visible the formation of a rocky valley through which, in winter and spring, a torrent cascades in successive waterfalls whose course can be followed, along a slightly difficult trail which develops along the hillside. When you reach the end of the gorge-shaped valley, there are two huge boulders that lend the place a wild and distant character. This is a great area for adventurers and anyone who likes a bit of a challenge. From this place there are two roads, one that goes up to the place of Paredes, and another that accesses the road to Vila de Rei.
