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![Detrelo da Malhada, Arouca [Photo adapted from the original]](https://img3.oastatic.com/img2/74236509/1080x410r/variant.webp)
Hikes in Arouca
Portugal
Hikes in Arouca are encounters with streams, mountains, stones, and villages eager to tell you ancestral stories about people and nature. Come listen to them to the sound of the waters running in the rivers. Feel them in the touch of the gentle breeze flowing through the air. Smell them in the fields with wild fruits.
The 10 most beautiful hikes in Arouca
![Detrelo da Malhada, Arouca [Photo adapted from the original]](https://img3.oastatic.com/img2/74236509/728x410r/variant.webp)
Network of hiking trails
The network of hiking trails in Arouca, which includes numerous trails with different characteristics, proves that there are places where walking is really worth it. And Arouca is one of them! From mountain trails to paths along the river, from thematic walks to routes that take several days to complete. There are several options for true lovers of hiking and nature tourism.
Photo: Ana Gilde, CC BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons
Caminhos do Montemuro, Vale do Urtigosa and Sol Nascente
Photo: AGA -Associação Geoparque Arouca, CC BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons
Do you want to climb to the highest point of the Arouca Geopark? Then follow the Caminhos do Montemuro (PR1). One of the hiking trails in Arouca that starts and ends at the Santuário de Nossa Senhora do Monte, in Alvarenga, passing through the highest point of the entire Arouca Geopark territory, the Marco Geodésico da Pedra Posta, and also through a series of trails in Arouca with stunning panoramic views.
The Caminhos do Vale do Urtigosa (PR2) pass through charming villages in the parishes of Rossas and Urrô, with the Urtigosa river and the Escaiba stream accompanying you along the route that starts and ends at the Igreja Matriz de Rossas. The path passes by still-functioning water mills, waterfalls, oak forests, cultivated fields, and centuries-old roads where ox carts still pass.
The hiking route of the Caminhos do Sol Nascente (PR3) crosses part of the parish of Moldes, where you can admire the mountain range, terraced fields, vineyards, the waterfalls of the Ribeiro das Rocas, and the villages of Bustelo, Adaúfe, Espinheiro, and Fuste. This trail in Arouca starts and ends at the Igreja Matriz de Moldes.
From Cercanias da Freita, Livraria do Paiva to Caminho do Carteiro
It is in the parish of Santa Eulália, in the chapel of Santa Maria do Monte, that the hiking trail Cercanias da Freita (PR4) begins and ends. The main goal is to reach the foot of the mountain and admire the green mantle that covers the hills, the nurseries of Granja, and the quartz diorite boulders, among other points of interest.
In Janarde, and despite being a short route, the path Livraria do Paiva (PR5) introduces you to some of the geosites of the Arouca Geopark: Conheiros do Paiva, Meandros do Paiva, Livraria do Paiva, and the ichnofossils of Mourinha.
The Caminho do Carteiro (PR6), as the name suggests, depicts the route taken by the postman to deliver mail to the villages of Cabreiros, Tebilhão, and Rio de Frades. Since it is not a circular route, you can start the journey in one of the last two villages.
Trail of the Escarpas da Mizarela, the Black Gold Route and the Route of Aromas
Would you like to explore the fauna and flora of the Serra da Freita? Choose the trail of the Escarpas da Mizarela (PR7) which starts and ends near the Merujal Campsite, passes by the Biodiversity Station and some of the most privileged views over the Frecha da Mizarela.
There are two ways to enter the Black Gold Route (PR8), at the Santa Catarina de Fuste chapel or in Rio de Frades. Whichever way you choose, you will discover the wolfram mines that were exploited by the Germans during World War II.
Are there hikes in Arouca that smell good? It's true! The Route of Aromas (PR10) goes through the villages of Serabigões, Espiunca, and Vila Cova which have very distinctive scents, not to mention the fragrances of aromatic herbs and wild fruits you can smell throughout the route (which starts and ends at Espiunca square).
Photo: Vitor Oliveira, CC BY-SA, flickr
Trilho das Levadas, Senda do Paivó e Aldeia Mágica de Drave
Com partida e chegada junto à capela de Nossa Senhora do Rosário, o Trilho das Levadas (PR11) passa por todos os lugares do lado norte da freguesia de Mansores de forma a permitir usufruir da natureza, da história e do património que este território tem para oferecer.
Na Senda do Paivó (PR13) é um dos percursos pedestres de Arouca mais antigos, que liga as aldeias de Regoufe e Covelo de Paivó. O caminho começa junto da capela de Santo Amaro em Regoufe e termina na Igreja Paroquial de S. Pedro de Paivó. Pelo meio passa por vários cursos de água onde podes aproveitar para dar um mergulho!
Embora comece e termine em Regoufe, o foco do percurso pedestre da Aldeia Mágica (PR14) tem outro nome: Drave! Efetivamente, a única forma de chegar à desabitada, mas encantadora Aldeia de Drave, perdida na montanha, é caminhando.
Journey to Prehistory and São Pedro Velho Route
Hikes in Arouca as a return to the past? There is that too! The Journey to Prehistory route (PR15), which starts and ends in the village of Merujal, takes you to iconic places such as Portela da Anta, Birthing Stones, the mounds of Monte Calvo, and Frecha da Mizarela.
You don’t need to stay overnight in the campsite, but this is where the walk along the São Pedro Velho route (PR16) begins and ends, which has its highlight at the impressive viewpoint in Serra da Freita, where you can see half of Portugal!
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