The PR1 trail from Pateira to Águeda is, as its name indicates, a route on which we follow the Pateira de Fermentelos, one of the largest natural lagoons on the Iberian Peninsula. On this trail of around 14 km, performed in a circular circular, we cross Óis da Ribeira and Espinhel, starting and ending at the imposing Pateira de Fermentelos.
The leaflet with the route can be found on the website of the Municipality of Águeda (here). The official start of the route is at the Óis da Ribeira Leisure Park.
Just keep in mind that you arrive at the right bank of Pateira, since if you go to the bank of Fermentelos, you have to take a long detour to get back to the starting point.
the trail, about 14 km long, takes the circular shape.
Regarding the parking, this is not a problem, as the Leisure Park has plenty of parking space, many of them in the shade. Here you will also find a restaurant where you can refresh yourself before or after the trail.
Starting the route, you can decide which direction to take: towards the houses in that parish or towards Espinhel, starting with a more natural route.
In our case, we decided randomly and headed towards Espinhel. In this case, we follow forest paths, at a time when it moves further away from the banks.
In the beginning, this first part of the route to the Espinhel Leisure Park may be restricted depending on the time of year in which you take the route.
In our case, even though we did it in summer, we found some muddy parts and we had to create alternative detours to the route – it's not very difficult to find these detours but here's a tip for anyone thinking of doing the trail in rainy months.
the Pateira de Fermentelos, central element of this trail, is one of the largest natural lakes in the Iberian Peninsula
It is in the Espinhel Leisure Park that are some viewpoints, in the form of small walkways over the water, giving an incredible view of Pateira. Afterwards, the path returns to forest roads, this time taking the form of a curve. Here, we follow a path next to Pateira that then turns sharply and leads us along a parallel path.
In this part of the route, it is especially necessary to pay attention. Then the trail will continue through a cut, half hidden, which will appear on the right. If you miss this turn, you will return to the Leisure Park. Afterwards, we reach the urban area of Espinhel.
From here, and until reaching the next urban center of Óis da Ribeira, the path follows mainly dirty paths, flanked by several trees.
When you arrive in Óis da Ribeira, if, like us, you are feeling hot, take the opportunity to rest for a while in the café. Then, return to farmland paths surrounded by cornfields.
In this part of the route, the river always follows to the right, and the trail itself “imitates” its curves. From here, we will eventually reach walkways that are already part of the starting point of the route: the Óis da Ribeira Leisure Park.
the trail follows along the banks of Pateira, through urban centers, agricultural and forest paths
Despite being a route that does not have a high level of difficulty associated with it, we recommend the use of appropriate footwear. Above all, it is necessary to consider thatthis is a long route, often on less friendly terrain, namely dirt and some muddier areas than usual. Additionally, in hot months this route becomes especially difficult on days with strong sun.
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