The Wooden Bridges Path, in Sintra

5 kms of wet, thick bush. A remarkable challenge!
More than twenty wooden bridges, through a thick wet bush.
A notorious challenge, this trail, downhill from Capuchos (the Capuchins) Convent to reach the north bank of Mula Dam, near Sintra.

The path runs almost parallel to the sandy road and always close to Mula creek, coming down from the top of Monge (Monk). The trail goes bouncing between one and other side of the stream, and we can count a total of more than 20 improvised bridges to cross along the way.

A trail thought, 'designed' and built by the BTTs guys but there is a lot of other people using it for walking routes.

The Mula River, a.k.a. Vineyards River, Quince River, or Sweet River, starts in Sintra hills, at the Monk, and runs into the Atlantic Ocean in Cascais.

On its way there is a dam (the dam of the Mula river ), site of a great beauty and a relaxing spot, which is the beginning and the end to this Bridges Path, usually covered by BTT cyclists .

Magnificent the forest, and along it runs this trail where small wooden bridges built from tree trunks are a must! Beautiful route, stunning surroundings!

NOTE - Map and profile depicts a route starting and ending at the top, next to the Capuchins Convent. We have chosen, instead, to start down there in the car parking next to the Mula dam, and visit the Capuchins Convent halfway through.

Mula dam and creek. Cross improvised wooden bridges. Visit to the Capuchins Convent. Optional lunch in a typical restaurant in Sintra.
Optional taxi hired from Lisbon / Cascais

THE CAPUCHOS CONVENT

Half way through our trail we will arrive at the Capuchin Convent. The Convent of Santa Cruz da Serra, commonly known as the Capuchin Convent, also nicknamed 'convent of Cork', was built in 1560 by D. Álvaro de Castro.

The convent, revealing extreme poverty with its windows and doors lined with cork, was inhabited by Franciscan Friars until 1834. In 1873 it was acquired by the Cook family and in 1949 by the Portuguese State. Initially they lived in the convent only 8 monks. The best known was Frei Honorius who lived to be 100 years old, having spent the last 30 to fulfill penance.

The Capuchin Convent, a so charming site in Sintra, is surrounded by a forest that, having been kept by the Franciscan Monks, escaped deforestation as happened virtually with all Sintra hills.

There are still many old oaks and large shrubs and all these plants are an example of the vegetation that once should have covered all the range.

In the convent woods we find the Hazel, English Oak, Laurel, Yew Tree, Chestnut Tree, Arbutus, Caledonia, Foxglove.

There are also endangered species: Holly, butcher's broom, Fetus-sheet-of-ivy and fetus of the oaks.