The cascade of Golas comprises a succession of waterfalls on the river Ardena area where the slopes are steeper. These declines, in addition to high landscape value, have excellent characteristics for practicing adventure sports. The Ardena river springs in Montemuro mountain in the village of Noninha at an altitude of about 800 meters, and for 13 km covers a vertical drop of 700 meters, until flowing into the river Paiva, at an elevation of 100 meters, in the area of Espiunca. This mountain river of cold water goes through several villages, having been over the years a major source of water for agricultural activities of these valleys where the slopes are gentler.
The Ardena river, along its route, has got rich natural heritage sites with peculiar beauty. One of these sites is the excellent recreational area of Ardena river at Nespereira, which includes the beautiful Balsa bridge. The biodiversity here also abounds: the flora is diverse, the black alder, ash, willow, or herbs, such as royal fern or primrose, make up the riparian corridors, surrounded by forests of pedunculate oak orbbeautiful marshes. This landscape favors the presence of a rich fauna: several dragonflies live along the banks of Ardena, as the keeled skimmer or the western spectre, as well as species such as the iberian frog, the iberian emerald lizard or the elusive white-throated dipper.
In Nespereira we can find the grotto of Nossa Senhora de Lurdes (Our Lady of Lurdes), inaugurated in 1896, and the existing replica of Massabielle in France. The cave is inserted in the park of Nossa Senhora de Lurdes, scenery of great beauty full of shady trees making a great recreational site.
