The Penedo da Saudade is a huge rocky platform standing over the tourmalinic granite of Gafanhão with approximately 5 meters in height and serves as a belvedere. From here we see the Paiva river, seated between the Montemuro mountains to the north and the Gralheira mountain chain to the south. The Paiva river is born in the Leomil mountains (Moimenta da Beira) and flows into the river Douro, at Castelo de Paiva. This landscape is marked by the change of granitic lithology for schist, becoming once again granite in the Montemuro mountain. Here it is possible to observe the huge Ester canyon meander, which gives rise to an idyllic landscape.
The Paiva river is considered one of the cleanest rivers in Europe, it is possible to find along its valley a great diversity of habitats, fauna and flora. The extensive areas of forest harbor diverse avifauna, as the stunning bullfinch, the great spotted woodpecker, the goldfinch or the common buzzard. By Paiva river and its tributaries we can already notice riparian birds as the sleek white-throated dipper, the common kingfisher or the real-heron. In the wild waters of the Paiva in habit several species of fish, such as trout, the portuguese nase and the iberian chub. Along the Paiva river can be observed several dragonflies, as the western spectre, the golden-ringed dragonfly, the keeled skimmer, the orange-spotted emerald dragonfly or the river cruisers dragonfly, species considered very rare in Europe. Endemic to the region, the pedunculated anarrhinum is present in Paiva valley, in slopes and rocky places. In the mountainous areas of the valley, such as the Montemuro mountain and the Gralheira mountain chain, two enigmatic species survive in the territory: the iberian-wolf and the majestic snub-nosed viper.
