The city of Tomar, Portugal, is a fascinating place. It sits close to the geographic center of the country, along the Nabão River. I visited Tomar on a beautiful day in August. I will write more about Tomar next week, but today I want to introduce you to what seems to me to be an often looked-over jewel of the city—Mata Nacional dos Sete Montes—Seven Hills National Forest.
This city forest occupies 39 hectares (approx. 100 acres) just below Tomar’s most famous attraction, the Castle and Convent of the Order of Christ. The Order of Christ were originally known as the Knights Templar. The park starts at the bottom of a valley, across from the city’s main tourist office. Its gates are guarded by a statue of Infante Henrique – Prince Henry the Explorer. Henry was the architect of Portuguese exploration and colonialism in the 16th century. He developed this plan while staying at the castle in Tomar.
The National Forest is a beautiful place for a walk. It was originally part of the monastery, a place for the monks to walk and contemplate. In 1938 it was converted into a public space. The paths are well developed, and most of them are heavily shaded. This makes even summer walks comfortable. For my visit I decided to head up to the highest point of the park, a 2.7 mile round trip, with a gain of 410 feet in elevation to the midway point. I chose this destination because at the high point is the “panoramic swing.” You can sit on the swing and have the park, the castle and entire city laid out before you. And if you are brave enough, you can swing out over the edge of the cliff.
Castle of the Order of Christ
Nearby, is the Charolinha do Mata Nacional dos Sete Montes. The Charolinha is a “Casa Fresca” or a fresh house, that is a place that walkers could stop and and refresh themselves, and hide away from the surrounding world.
Sete Montes is a wonderful place to escape the heat of the old city of Tomar. You can take a short walk in the shade, or hike up to Panoramic swing. Either way, you will enjoy the escape into nature.
Nuts and Bolts
- The Mata Nacional dos Sete Montes is located at Avenida Dr. Vieira Guimarães 1 2300, Tomar, Portugal.
- It is free at all times.
- The forest is open seven days a week basically from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
