Fonte Santa da Fornalha - Monchique, Portugal - Natural Springs on Waymarking.com

Monchique is the name of a village and also of the highest mountain of Southern Portugal. This natural spring will be found in such mountain but, let me warn you, there is no easy way to get there. You will have to find the right path, and if your progression is blocked by a stream or two, it's only natural.... at least your feet will need to get wet.

The whole hiking from the closed asphalt road is a rewarding experience, and not too long. Perhaps 2 km.

In the spot there are a couple old shelters related with the spring, one of them covering the stream itself.

From the existing Geocaching listing:
(visit link)


"Lost in the time and the deepenings of Serra de Monchique, there is the Fonte Santa of Fornalha. Close to where join the riversides of Monchique and Odelouca, more below of the future construction of the barrage of Odelouca, it is this place. Calm, with water everywhere, has been used as spa for some hundreds of years. Its water of thermal origin sprouts lukewarm for the still existing tanks. This is medicinal, saying that it is good for problems of bones.
The existing infrastructures consist of two rooms with tanks of bath, and separate, some rooms that served to lodge visitors in another times (even so currently still some people use them). There’s also a small cascade before arriving to the houses, where’s another medicinal water spring (it have a strange smell). This is said to be good to heal cuts and wounds.
There’s an old tradition of the people from that region, to take a bath in this springs, by São João celebrations (24th June). Still today in this height some people go there to pass the night and have a bath. The people also say that in the year of 1495 the king D.João II in its visit to Monchique took bath there."

Public or Private Land?: Public Public Land Fees?: No feed Private Land access?: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the springs no GPS necessary along with your observations of the spring. What wildlife you saw if any and the condition of the springs. Water level was high, low. The area was clean, trashy ect. Any other knowledge or experiences you have had with this paticular spring that would help document it's history.

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