We took a trail linking Piódão to the village in the valley below it, Foz D'Égua. With the river to our right the path wound its way downstream through abandoned terraces & dilapidated stone huts (📷1). We noted coral-like Schizophyllum commune | the split-gill mushroom, a native fungus (📷2). The overcast sky, stillness & charred landscape created a sense of desolation: 64,000ha 🔥 burned as a result of a ⚡️ lightning strike during a dry storm here in Aug 2025—the largest wildfire in Portugal’s recorded history (📷3), but 🌱 green growth has begun reclaiming the slopes. Foz d’Égua is a schist hamlet known for its natural “river beach” (Praia Fluvial) & twin stone bridges at the confluence of two mountain streams (📷4). A 6km/ 2.5h loop.

🇵🇹 #portugal 🇪🇺 #europe 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature