Crossing the wild and pristine waters of Paiva river – considered the cleanest river in Europe – the Bateira bridge fits in harmoniously into the landscape. It is said that here there was a boat (bateira) crossing between the two banks of the river – hence the name of this bridge – also known as Loureiral bridge probably because of the abundance of bay laurel in these parts. The construction of this beautiful arched granite bridge began in 1881, and was completed in 1893, with the functionality of bonding the people of Castelo Paiva and Cinfães still remaining, these days, as one of the main crossing points of the river Paiva.
Around here, the river Paiva is known for its wild whitewaters, excellent for adventure sports. But the clear waters that run through these valleys hide a multitude of remarkable flora and fauna. By these turbulent waters, birds such as the white-throated dipper and the majestic common kingfisher search for food. The iberian emerald lizard and the viperine water snake are some of the creatures living around here. Paiva’s clean waters also favors the presence of a considerable diversity of dragonflies, giving the chance to complete its life cycle to common species like the large pincertail, the western specter or the beautiful demoiselle. In the woods by the Paiva banks, we also find a high biodiversity, with species as the bluebells, the foxy emperor or the stag beetle, protected beetle associated with deciduous woods. These forests also favor the world of mushrooms, with various sizes, shapes and colors, here are proliferating, as exemplified by the parasol mushrooms or the golden chanterelles.
