The cascade of Aguieiras begins from the stream of Aguieiras waterfall that, after covering Alvarenga, plummets over the river Paiva lining cliffs, exceeding a gap of over 100 meters in successive waterfalls. The stream of Aguieiras takes advantage of the Alvarenga massif granitic orthogonal fracturing to make way to the Paiva river. It can be admired in all its fullness from the left bank of this river, right by the beginning of the staircase to the Paiva Walkways. This formation is part of the gorge of Paiva river, natural choke of the Paiva valley, where this river crosses the Alvarenga’s granite.
In this magical place with an over whelming landscape, we highlight five very interesting habitats: the rupicolous outcrops, the riparian gallery, the adernal (green olive tree woodland), the river and the farm land in the Alvarenga plateau. On the outcrops, we can find the Douro’s furry anarrhinum, angel’s tears and different species of saxifrage. The riverside gallery, where ash, black alder and willow are frequent, the highlight is for the beautiful demoiselle and the camberwell beauty butterfly. On the adernal, the green olive tree, the laurestine, the myrtle and the strawberry tree constitute a grove of shrubs that witness the ancestral domain of these formations in the Paiva valley. On the river, barbel, portuguese nase, northern iberian chub and trout are common and are part of the local cuisine. In the fields and agricultural paths, the red-legged partridge and the spanish festoon butterfly are easily observed, proving that the harmony between man and nature creates territories of great biodiversity.
On the Alvarenga plateau, which is benefiting from the fertility provided by the legendary Rego do Boi, one can taste the Arouquesa calf (cow breed), which here is known for the famous Alvarenga steak. In this village on the edge of the Paiva just over 1,000 inhabitants, restaurants and farms multiply, where nature and gastronomy are grounds for a long visit.
