Completely uninhabited or with only a few inhabitants, these almost deserted villages have many charms to discover. Unfortunately, the number of abandoned villages in Portugal has increased every year. Despite the numerous restoration projects for rural tourism that are being carried out little by little, the abandoned villages persist in being maintained. The phenomenon occurs mainly in the interior of the country: Trás-os-Montes, Alentejo and Beiras. But it is also possible to find uninhabited villages in the Algarve, in Gerês and even close to Lisbon.
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Lost from north to south of Portugal, these villages witnessed the flight of their inhabitants and the consequent depopulation. Most are completely uninhabited, while others have one or two inhabitants who live relatively isolated and with no neighbors around. They are used to traveling long kilometers to get where they need to go and have silence and tranquility for company. Some of these villages, although uninhabited, continue to have a life of their own, with tourists and adventurers roaming the streets between the closed houses.
With closed doors, ruined houses and a sepulchral silence, these are some of the deserted - or almost - deserted villages that you can discover in Portugal.
The Portuguese state wants to attract more businessmen and workers to the less populated regions of the country. A measure to combat growing desertification and regional asymmetries. Therefore, it created the Work in the Interior Program, which includes a set of measures to make the search for jobs and housing more agile and offer the necessary financial support to share the costs associated with traveling to the interior.
information about and related updated @ 01.01.2025
‧ Água Formosa, Vila de Rei
‧ Água Formosa, Vila de Rei
10 km from the Geodesic Center of Portugal, the village of Água Formosa is hidden between Ribeira da Corga and Ribeira da Galega, on a sunny slope. In this village one is captivated by the sincere friendliness of the inhabitants, by the cobbled path that leads to the source of pure water, an antidote to the heat that also quenches the thirst for rest.
Crossing the pedestrian bridge over the stream to enjoy another perspective of the village is imperative.
With the requalification of the village, new inhabitants emerged: from four in 2002, the village currently has nine permanent inhabitants. A housing unit emerged in the last few years. And one by one the remaining houses are being recovered. On weekends, the temporary residents arrive, who leave eager to return soon. There are new gardens all around the village and fruit trees. The village revives.
‧ Colcurinho, Oliveira do Hospital
‧ Colcurinho, Oliveira do Hospital
Fonte: colcurinho.chaosobral.org
Uninhabited since the 1950s, the village of Colcurinho is located in the Serra do Açor, 500 meters from the village of Chão Sobral. Today, only the walls of the houses made of schist and the chapel of Santo Antão, built in the 16th century, remain, the only building that is not in ruins.
Every year, on the Sunday immediately following January 17th, people return to the village to ask for the protection of Santo Antão, the local patron saint. In the village of Colcurinho, there is also a bridge, built in schist, and a water mill, next to the chapel.
‧ Aldeia da Laje, Mação
‧ Aldeia da Laje, Mação
Lage is a small place lost in the middle of the hills, the name derives from the fact that this small abandoned village is built on top of a large stone slab, as is visible in some parts of the village.
The village of Mação is located in Santarém.
Popular memory tells us that, once upon a time, the property belonged to a single family, but when the owner died, it was inherited by two brothers who quickly became involved in disputes over the land.
Fonte: www.cm-macao.pt
‧ Barbelote, Monchique
‧ Barbelote, Monchique
Fonte: webapp.algarvefantastic.com
Hidden in the mountains of Monchique, the village of Barbelote has about a dozen abandoned and ruined houses. The village is situated on a steep slope, hidden in a deep valley.
The ex-libris of the place is the Barbelote waterfall, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the county. The water crashes between bushes, on a fault in the rock and causes a small water mirror. In the Monchique mountains there are still two more waterfalls: the Penedo do Buraco waterfall and the Chilrão waterfall.
‧ Adagoi, Valpaços
‧ Adagoi, Valpaços
Until the beginning of the 80s of the last century, 11 families and about 50 people lived in Adagoi, in the municipality of Valpaços. Today, no one lives in the village with a peculiar name of Germanic origin, Adeguaoy, which means veiga or small valley, which proves the passage of Suevi and Visigoth peoples through this place.
Adagoi is located between the Adagoi and Alhariz streams, which makes it surrounded by the most beautiful landscapes in the entire municipality of Valpaços.
Por ManuelBarreira
‧ Broas, Mafra
‧ Broas, Mafra
Por Reino Baptista
The village of Broas, in Mafra, has been abandoned for about 40 years. It is a medieval village with just over a dozen houses, corrals and small facilities that served as agricultural warehouses. Today, many houses no longer have roofs and abundant vegetation takes over the slope.
The name Broas is due to the morphology of the terrain in this area where there are cone-shaped elevations or “broas”.
‧ Drave, Arouca
‧ Drave, Arouca
Located between the mountains of Freita, São Macário and Arada, at about 600 meters of altitude, Drave is an uninhabited village, integrated in the Geopark of Arouca. It is a typical village in which the houses are made of stone, called lousinha stone, with a schist roof. The streets are irregular.
Por João Nuno Brochado
The village is very isolated and not accessible by car. There is no electricity, running water, sanitation, gas, mail, telephone and the cell phone network is scarce. However, it is worth visiting this magical place to enjoy the unique landscape of the valley surrounded by high mountains.
‧ Lecadas, Castro Daire
‧ Lecadas, Castro Daire
In the middle of the Montemuro mountain range is the village of Levadas, which belongs to the parish of Cabril. It is entirely made up of houses of traditional architecture, with granite walls and shale roofs. However, the last inhabitant left the village in the early 2000s, turning Levadas into a ghost village.
About two kilometers from this village there is the village of Moimenta, which had a wolfram mine. Many people started leaving Levadas and moving to Moimenta, building modern houses. With the closure of the mine, people were even forced to migrate to find work elsewhere.
‧ Vale de Poldros, Monção
‧ Vale de Poldros, Monção
Por Fernando Gonçalves
Vale de Poldros is known as the village of the Hobbits, because of its similarity to the lush landscapes of the “Lord of the Rings” saga, but also as the land of one man, because only Fernando Gonçalves lives here permanently.
The Branda de Santo António de Vale de Poldros is one of about 10 brandas existing in Alto Minho and the best preserved. A branda is a set of cardenhas which are the small stone shelters that can still be found in Vale de Poldros.
Located in the middle of the slope, at about 1200 meters of altitude, this branda rises above the river Vez, providing fantastic views over the entire region.
I have created a mymaps with all the uninhabited villages in Portugal.
reviewed @ 08.2025
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