Arouca, and its Geopark, are a must for those who enjoy nature walks. Having gained more prominence since the opening of the Paiva Walkways and, more recently, with the 516 Bridge, Arouca has become one of the region's favorite destinations.
In this post we'll tell you about some of our favorite places in the Geopark, which we had the opportunity to visit over two days - but for those who are going for longer, fear not, the Geopark is huge and has activities for several days! You can check out the interactive map provided by the Geopark, here..
Paiva Walkways and Bridge 516
Perhaps the most famous element of the Arouca Geopark, the Paiva Walkways consist of a large set of walkways located on the bank of a river, in this case the Paiva River. In total, the walkways take you along some 8.7km (linear) that offer incredible views over the river, with a few river beaches in between.
Please note that at the beginning and end, the walkways have a large number of steps, so there is a certain level of difficulty. If purchased in advance on the website (here.), the cost is €1 per person, doubled if bought on the day.
The famous 516 Arouca Bridge was recently built next to the footbridges. A major engineering feat completely suspended 175 meters above the Paiva River. Due to the limited number of simultaneous crossings, the ticket for the bridge has to be bought in advance, costing 12€ and also including the ticket for the Walkways (you can buy it on the website here.)
Trails in the Arouca Geopark
In total, the Arouca Geopark has 16 small routes (PR) and one large route (GR). However, the PRs vary greatly in length, with some being considerably longer and, due to the Geopark's altitude and uncertain terrain, more physically demanding.
Of all the small routes, the only one we had the chance to do (and loved) is the Magical Village Trail, which connects the abandoned mines of Regoufe, which alone are worth a visit, to the village of Drave. If you're interested in trying this trail, you can find more information Here
You can also check out the other trails available in the Arouca Geopark here..
Viewpoints, Wind Farm and Animals
There are several viewpoints in the Arouca Geopark. Some have beautiful, huge waterfalls as their main feature, while others seek to showcase the surrounding landscape.
In fact, when you drive around the Geopark you'll often come across viewpoints. Here we recommend our three favorites.
One of the most famous, the viewpoint of Frecha da Mizarela, overlooks a huge waterfall at an altitude of 910 meters. This impressive waterfall is also the highest in mainland Portugal, at around 75 meters high.
It was from this area that we had one of our favorite moments of the day: in the houses near Frecha da Mizarela lives a shepherd, so you can find goats scattered around the landscape.
It was late afternoon when we were here, and the shepherd called his animals, who started climbing the steepest areas and returning home, creating an incredible scene.
Another beautiful viewpoint is São Pedro Velho, where you can get a 360º view of the Serra da Freita. However, this one has more complicated accessibility, being located about 600 meters from the road and requiring some physical effort to get there.
This viewpoint is located at one of the highest points in the mountains, at 1077 meters, so you'll probably be able to see it from most of the surrounding areas.
Our last recommendation for viewpoints is the Detrelo da Malhada Panoramic - a circular viewpoint built on a suspended platform and with a 180º view, which is located at an altitude of 1099 meters. On a good day, you can even see the ocean from this viewpoint. For all these reasons, this viewpoint is, for us, the most beautiful in the Serra da Freita.
It's also near this viewpoint that you can visit the Serra da Freita Wind Farm. In fact, the (dirt) road leading to this viewpoint has a wind farm right in front of it - so take a good jacket, it's a very windy area!
Geosites and Landscapes
The Arouca Geopark has lots of places to visit. In addition to the geosites (where geological formations are found), the landscape is breathtaking and there are often little surprises that aren't even marked.
So, we really recommend that you take some roads and see what Arouca has to offer. However, here are a few places that (for us) really deserve to be visited.
One of the best-known parts of the Arouca Geopark are the birthstones and their interpretation center. Because they are unique in the world, the birthstones are an extremely interesting and curious phenomenon.
Nearby you'll find one of our favorite places: the road that leads to the boroas stones of Junqueiro. Here, in addition to this geological phenomenon of stones with an unusual texture and relief, we also find one of the most beautiful landscapes in the mountains. Here we also find a small bridge, not identified on site (but identified on google maps as a pedestrian bridge), which fits in perfectly with the landscape. In this area we also find Portela da Anta, a megalithic tomb.
Other points of interest are, of course, the mines and mining complexes, such as Minas de Regoufe, Minas da Pena Amarela and the Ribeiro de Rio de Frades Complex.
Historic Center of Arouca
For those who prefer a bit more history, we recommend visiting the Historic Center of Arouca. Here you can visit the beautiful Monastery of Santa Maria de Arouca, founded in the 10th century, and the Capela da Misericórdia (Chapel of Mercy) just opposite.
You can also take a stroll in the beautiful and well-tended Arouca Municipal Park. A little further away from this central area, you can also visit the Calvary, which is part of the Way of the Cross.
Arouca Jeep Tour: Paradinha Village and Trilobites Museum
When we decided to visit the region beyond the walkways, we wanted a different experience, and that's when we opted for a Jeep Tour. In our case, it was through NaTourWayBut there are other companies that do the same type of service.
The package we bought, which cost around €20 per person, lasted between 2 and 3 hours and included the jeep ride, the Trilobites Museum, the village of Paradinha and a snack with regional products.
Both destinations mentioned above can be visited independently, but we liked the way it was organized.
Paradinha is a small schist and slate village. In addition to a small number of houses, where there are no longer any permanent residents, there is a chapel in honor of Nossa Senhora da Saúde and a famous river beach, known for its sports.
The Trilobites Museum - Geological Interpretation Center, on the other hand, consists of a two-storey building with records of various types of fossils, but with greater emphasis on trilobites, where the largest specimen in the world can be found. A visit to the museum costs €5 / adult.
There are also some snack tables in the immediate vicinity of the museum.
The Arouca Geopark as a whole is well worth the trip. Despite all the sites listed above, this destination has so much more to offer. What we really recommend is that you take to the roads and discover all that the Geopark has to offer.
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