Not far from Porto, 1.5 hours’ drive along the western bank of the River Paiva, the municipality of Arouca commissioned an 8.7 kilometre hiking trail made up of wooden walkways designed by the company Trimétrica. Surrounded by the beautiful quartz landscape, with the sound of the river coursing below, a hike along the wooden boardwalk will take around 2.5 hours.
Winding steps and bridges line the rocky slopes, leading hikers through the landscape without touching the sensitive terrain. The level of difficulty is classed as hard, and if you choose to go upstream, the walk will take more like five hours.
The walkways are supported by glulam posts on steel fixings anchored directly into the rock. The decking and railings make use of pressure treated pine. At the end of the trail is a suspension bridge in steel and wood that takes the hikers back to the road. Along the route there are also three beaches for those who want to cool down on hot days.
