Paiva Walkways or Passadiços do Paiva

Zig-zagging down a hilly valley, following the Paiva River, the Paiva Walkways or Passadiços do Paiva as it is known locally, is a wooden walkway that takes visitors on a geology, history and nature journey through an area of abundant deposits of quartz crystals, fossils, rare flora and fauna.

The wooden walkway is designed to interfere as little as possible with the surrounding environment, but still letting visitors enjoy the topography and natural environment which would otherwise be inaccessible for most people. This type of project can be quite controversial as to how best to protect the local flora and fauna, but at the same time allows people to enjoy and learn about the native fauna and flora without causing any damage.

The walk comprises of a 8 km wooden walkway which is not too physically demanding, but equally it is not a “walk in the park” either. We decided to tackle it the day after our arrival in Espiunca in the Municipality of Arouca.

We left Coimbra bound for Espiunca (Arouca) on a windy road snaking up the hills into a mountainous landscape. The road is narrow in places and there are some steep gradients that are a little tricky to navigate with the motorhome.

Around a sharp bend going downhill, we met a tour bus coming in the opposite direction, after some interesting manoeuvres, and Brian reversing up hill, we managed to safely get to Espiunca.

The challenge then was finding a place to park, which was almost impossible. Being a Bank Holiday the place was packed full of day trippers and many Portuguese families enjoying a beautiful sunny day by the river. Not what we had expected at all.

Eventually we found a place to park, next to a small cemetery, in an area where the large coach tour buses park. We stayed parked there until the evening when the crowds cleared out and peace was finally restored.

We then moved our home on wheels a few hundred metres to the free parking area and settled down for our overnight stay. Being right next to the river (GPS N40. 99353 W8.21438) it was soothing to hear the sounds of a rushing river through the night, and there were only  three other motorhomes spending the night there next to ours. We slept very well indeed.

The Paiva River is just behind us

Espiunca

Walking the Paiva Walkways

It is about 8 km/5miles of a wooden walkway (think… the mother of all decking projects) through a hilly landscape, a fast flowing river rushing down the valley, a fragrant eucalyptus forest, birds soaring over head, quartz crystals, moss covered rocks and carpets of multi-coloured flowers.

Paiva Walkways/Passadiços de Paiva, can you spot me down there?

There are some steep steps

The walkway follows the Paiva River

The wooden walkway is about 8 km long through very beautiful landscapes

Visitors can enjoy it all from the comfort and security of a sturdy and well maintained wooden walkway.

The route can be started at either Areinho or Espiunca (there is a car park at both the Areinho end and at the Espiunca end). If travelling by motorhome as we did, it is better to park at the larger and more accessible car park in Espiunca (make sure to enter the car park via the exit  since the entrance is too steep and narrow for a motorhome).

Start the walk from Areinho, since it will be mostly (but not all) down hill. We got a taxi to take us from Espiunca (where we stayed parked overnight) to Areinho at a cost of 15 Euros. It is possible to walk both ways/round walk, but be prepared for a tiring day and some steep areas. We found it quite an easy walk and it took us about 3 hours to complete (one direction only) with a few stops for photos and admiring the views.

Tips for walking the Paiva Walkways

• Consult the website and buy the ticket online, it only costs 1 Euro to do the walk (May 2019).
• If visiting on a car trip, park at either Espiunca or Areinho car park. It is easier to walk in the direction Areinho to Espiunca.
• If walking just one way, there are taxis at each end that can take you back to where your car has been left (the cost for us in May/2019 was 15 Euros).
• If visiting by motorhome like us, it is possible to overnight at the free car park at the Espiunca end (GPS N40. 99353 W8.21438). There are no services, but there are public toilets and cold showers and there is also a small café serving snack food and drinks.
• To have the best experience I recommend avoiding this walk at weekends/Bank Holidays/high summer season, since it is a VERY popular walk. and can get incredibly busy. We walked on a Thursday morning 2nd of May/2019 and had it virtually to ourselves. The previous day was a National Holiday and more than 2,500 people walked it…
• Make sure to wear appropriate foot wear, bring water, snacks, sunhat and ensure to wear sun protection. It can get very hot and there is very little shade. There is a toilet half way.

We thoroughly enjoyed this walk and recommend it to anyone who enjoys hiking in nature, although if you are a hard core hiker this walkway might be too sanitized for you.

After our walk we stayed for one more night parked by the peaceful Paiva River. We left Espiunca next day  heading for Peso da Régua on the Douro Valley and the next leg of our motorhome tour.