B2

Porto Antigo

Description

The river Bestança, which rises near Portas do Montemuro (Montemuro doors, at the top of Montemuro mountain) at about 1200 meters above sea level, flows into the Douro, making this place a stunning landscape. Currently a major tourist area in the Douro, was once the stopping point of the rabelo boats carrying the port wine from the Douro wine region, down to their cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. Near Porto Antigo (Old Port) there is Mosteirô bridge, important waypoint to Porto Manso, on the north side of the Douro river. Throughout its history, the bridge has undergone several changes. Emphasis on its destruction with dynamite in 1919, in a tense period of the 1st Republic and still not known, until today, the authors of this action.

Cultural Patrimony

Facing the Douro, the village of Boassas, integrating the network of Villages of Portugal®, has an valuable, architectural and historical, heritage. There are the narrow streets and beautiful courtyards spread around the village (possibly of Arabic origin) Cubo´s House and the chapel of Our Lady of Estrela, from the mid-eighteenth century. Also of great interest is the Paço da Serrana state, which once belonged to the African explorer Alexandre de Serpa Pinto, where you can contemplate numerous species of exotic trees.

Natural Patrimony

This region has a rich natural heritage. The slopes of the Douro show abundant presence of cork oak, as well as strawberry tree, lote tree or the common hawthorn, and also an important habitat for the common buzzard. Bestança river, offers an excellent recreational next to Pias village, where we can observe several species of fauna and flora. The marbled newt, the iberian frog, the beautiful demoiselle or the southern scarce swallowtail butterfly, are some of the species present. Here too we find the canyon of Pias, an area where the river narrows by between towering boulders before reaching its mouth, creating a place of extreme beauty. Also in Pias village is located the environmental interpretation Center of the river Bestança Valley, excellent place to know this fantastic valley.

Localization

Porto Antigo, Cinfães

Technical information

  • Level of Dificulty Low
  • Type of Route Linear
  • Access Car/Pedestrian