Wild Skinny-dipping in Portugal
Stripping bare and plunging into a lake, a sparkling river or a thrillingly deep clear mountain pool is one of the most direct ways to reconnect with nature. As we bare all to the wild and immerse ourselves in it, we let it shape us, flow around us and so mould us.
Lie back to float, spread like a star, in volcanic lakes under clear skies at Lagoa Azul, or let a gentle current take you downstream as dragonflies alight on your body in Rio Couro. Strip off at a secret beach and let the waves surge around you. Feel your pulse race as you jump into a mountain pool in Gerês or swim bravely up to a thundering waterfall and let it pummel your body. Water gives us unhindered freedom of movement and many of Portugal’s rivers, waterfalls and lakes – and a good number of beaches where naturism is accepted – are in secluded spots, perfect for a skinny dip which only adds to this unhindered freedom. Here are three of our favourite places:
The River Teixeira is one of the cleanest rivers in Europe. At this point, just below the bridge, there is a poço, a well, carved by two millennia of water. Further down, the gleaming river snakes between mottled feldspar and granite worn to smooth pebbles. The river belly dips deeper again and a rope swing dangles over. On a sunny afternoon the glade is shaded by a green, dappled canopy.
Ponte de São João, Rio Coura
A scrabble down a steep stony track yields a vast azure pool. Dive from huge rocks and swim into quartz caves. Filled by the mountain spring which begins high in the hills at monastery of São João.
The name 'Fall of the Vicar' conjures beguiling nymphs and heady sunlight. The waterfall and pool, with its deep cool water, flowery banks and a hidden cave, certainly conjures the requisite Pre-Raphaelite backdrop. Inside the cave, stalactites drip like hundreds of guttering candles in a long-forgotten chapel.
For many more deserted places to shed your shorts and dive in (with maps, coordinates and directions to the wild places) pre-order a copy of the guidebook Wild Guide to Portugal here. Viva!
