Recently, I needed some time to just be calm and clear my thoughts, and I found the perfect way to sort of get away and do that! So this month's hike was from from Penedo do Lexim to Cascatas de Anços in the municipality of Mafra in Portugal. The half-day hike offered a nice trail and amazing views. Both stops, on top of the rocks and down to the waterfalls, were breathtaking and peaceful.

The route goes through the former volcanic chimney Penedo de Lexim all the way to the waterfalls, Cascatas de Anços. The path to get to the top of the rocks has a lot of open and grassy areas, which was good, but be sure to have a hat if you're going during the sunnier months since that also means several unshaded parts of the trail. To get down to the waterfalls, there's a creek that has to be crossed, and although I didn't need to get wet since there were some parts to hop on to cross, some have said that this isn't always the case. 

A 12-13km circular hike with a 300-meter elevation gain, it is not a challenging one overall, but there are a few steep climbs mostly near the end. Along the way, you can pass by the picturesque renovated village of Mata Pequena, which serves as a good stop as well. To get there from Lisbon, you can take the regional train (Caldas da Rainha) to Pedra Furada from the Entrecampos station.

Penedo do Lexim

Cascatas de Anços