Contacts

 

Manager and Promoter

Territórios do Côa www.valedocoa.pt This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +351 914 506 242 Picadeiro del Rei, n.º4 6350-239 Almeida

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FAQs

Is The Grand Route marked?
Yes, in all its extension (except for the complementary tracks to visit villages and other interesting features). Check the page about marks to know their characteristics.

Is it possible to travel through the Grand Route without any orientation tools?
The Grand Route is marked with intuitive and easy-to-find signs, in order for any user to be able to go for the tracks by its own initiative. Still, we strongly suggest the use of support material — stages sheets, .kml and .gpx files — available in the downloads page.

If I do not want to travel through the Grand Route by my own means, are there any touristic services to support me?
Check all the info about touristic services on the page Preparing for the GR.

What are the recommended seasons to use the Grand Route?
Spring (April-June) and Autumn (September-November) are the mildest seasons. In Summer, expect temperatures above 30°C and high dryness and pay the most attention to guarantee your protection from extreme heat and solar exposure around mid-day (11a.m. - 4p.m.). In Winter, expect temperatures below 5°C and pay the most attention to guarantee your protection from extreme cold at night.
During times of the year with an higher river flow (Autumn, Winter and Spring), some of the river crossings might be waterlogged, which can demand a bigger effort to cross (be aware: the risks you assume are of your own full responsibility). During some critical periods (most rainy weeks), those crossings can be completely underwater, which makes their crossing impossible. Before you start your travel, check the latest news to get updated info about the crossing conditions. If you happen to find a unfeasible crossing, contact the organization Associação Transumância e Natureza (management entity for the Grand Route) through the phone 00 351 271 311 202, to get help.

How many days does it take to cover the Grand Route?
Depending on the experience and fitness condition of the user, it is possible to cover the entire route by foot in 11 to 15 days, by mountain-bike in 3 to 5 days, by horse in 6 to 8 days. On the page Description of the Grand Route, you find the recommended stages for the three ways of moving (on foot, on mountain-bike, on horse), so that you can plan your Grand Route travel, either covering it completely or in part.

Is it possible to travel through only a part of the Grand Route?
Yes, it is possible to select different starting and ending points along the route, depending on the interest and free-time of each user. On the page Description of the Grand Route, you find the recommended stages for the three ways of moving (on foot, on mountain-bike, on horse), with the correspondent support materials. Since the Grand Route has a linear format, the starting and ending points are in different locations. There are only two marked circular tracks, namely in the municipalities of Almeida and Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, which allow you to go back to your starting point through a different way.

How much money will I spend per day along the Grand Route?
It all depends on the way you plan your travel in terms of transportation, food and accommodation. Only as a reference, the cost of a meal per person in a restaurant in this region is around 7 or 8 euros. The cost of a night per person in a rural tourism accommodation in this region is around 20 euros (we remind you that in some of the suggest stages there are no touristic accommodations; as an alternative, we suggest some informal accommodation solutions, presented in the stages fact sheets).

Do I need some permission to pass by some parts of the Grand Route?
No. Most of the Grand Route is composed of trails with a public status. In some areas, the route crosses private properties in agreement with their owners. This means all the land owners are aware of the Grand Route and expect the passage of visitors. Therefore, you can go through all the trails as long as you comply to the defined rules and recommendations. Concerning private properties, you are asked to respect their private status and to guarantee you leave all the gates closed.

Is it possible to camp along the Grand Route?
No. Wild camping is not allowed. You can request private touristic services that include  camping in some locations during night. You can check the partners page for the currently available touristic services. You can camp in the Faia Brava Reserve if you become a member and ask permission to do it.

Are there toilets along the Grand Route?
No. You can ask to go to the toilet in the cafés and restaurants from the villages you pass by. Before you start your travel, inform yourself about the local businesses you are going to find along your way, by checking the stages fact sheets or the interactive map.

Are there mobile networks along the Grand Route?
In most places, yes. In parts where the Côa valley gets narrower and deeper, mobile networks might fail.

Can I take my dog with me?
We do not recommend it because of the high presence of watchdogs in the agriculture landscape of this region. If you bring your dog, we recommend permanent leash use, in respect for other travelers and specially for the local population, and also to be more in control when passing by other dogs. Due to the reason mentioned above, please have special attention when you get closer to pasture lands where watch dogs can be, since they can react more strongly to the passing of another dog. These dogs can bark a lot and come near you, but they only intend to keep you away from the cattle they are protecting. Do not show fear, keep your dog close to you and keep walking normally. If you feel you are in danger, you can hold a stone or a stick in your hand to keep the dogs at a distance (do not threat or attack).

What are the dangers when traveling along the Grand Route?
There are trail sections which can have a slanting and slippery floor. Pay special attention when surfaces are wet.
There are river crossings without lateral protection. During times of the year with an higher river flow (Autumn, Winter and Spring), some of the river crossings might be waterlogged, which can demand a bigger effort to cross (be aware: the risks you assume are of your own full responsibility). During some critical periods (most rainy weeks), those crossings can be completely underwater, which makes their crossing impossible. Before you go for the Grand Route, check the latest news to get updated info about the crossing conditions. If you happen to find a unfeasible crossing, contact the organization Associação Transumância e Natureza (management entity for the Grand Route) through the phone 00 351 271 311 202, to get help.
There are watch dogs in pasture lands that can react to your passage. These dogs can bark a lot and come near you, but they only intend to keep you away from the cattle they are protecting. Do not show fear and keep walking normally. If you feel you are in danger, you can hold a stone or a stick in your hand to keep the dogs at a distance (do not threat or attack).

What to do in an emergency?
Call the national emergency number 112. Describe what is happening and where you are. In case of fire, call the national fire emergency number, 117.

Are there touristic services for group walks?
Yes. You can check the partners page to know the available services.

CROSS THE CÔA VALLEY GRAND ROUTE	SIGNAL POSTS AND MARKS	CODE OF CONDUCT	WHERE TO SLEEP	TAXI  & TRANSFER	HOW TO GET THERE	INTERACTIVE MAP	DOWNLOADS	USEFUL CONTACTS	FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Archaeological Park of the Côa Valley

Penascosa site, photo by João Romba

After running through the deep and carved granitic canyon, the Côa river lands on a schist-based scenery, with slopes of almond trees and vineyards, until it reaches the Douro river. On its final seventeen kilometres, the schist rocks delimiting the bed of the Côa River have been converted in art canvases over thousands of years, being used for engravings that are the legacy of our ancestors' creative instinct. From the Upper Paleolithic era, this "open-air" canvas are the testemonial of the nomadic people, their vitality and their mastery on engraving, that brought us 25 000 years of history.

World heritage by UNESCO since 1998, the Archaeological Park of the Côa Valley (PAVC) is the biggest open-air exhibition of Paleolithic Art in the world, with more than one thousand represatations, mainly engravings and some paintings as well. The motifs are dominated by the representation of the wild herbivores that roamed this lands at the time - horses, auroches, goats and deer - but also some religious and anthropomorphic motifs can be seen.

Nowadays around 60 sites are known, scattered across the 26 km of the Archaeological Park. Three of them are visitable, on the vilagges of Muxagata, Castelo Melhor, from where visitors are transported in all-terrain vehicles. The sites that can visited are:

- Canada do Inferno (Starting at the Côa Museum, Vila Nova de Foz Côa),
- Penascosa (at Castelo Melhor)
- Ribeira dos Piscos (starting at Muxagata)

Photo by António Martinho Batista

GUIDED TOURS TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
Choose to visit the Penascosa site, at Castelo Melhor, as the Grande Route crosses the village on stage 10 EAST and WEST walking, and stage 3 on mountain bike, and opt by a daily or nightly visit.
For booking your visit please contact:
- Côa Museum | +351 279 768 260/1 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Central of Reservations | +351 965 778 799
- Guided Tours 

CÔA MUSEUM
Built in 2010 by the architects Camilo Rebelo and Tiago Pimentel, it is inspired on the concept of land art architecture, combining contemporaneous traces with the use of wide and square spaces inside, discretely fit on the landscape over the Côa river. The building is world-known by the architectural prizes that won.

Art, Archaeology and Architecture melt at teh Museum, a territorial reference and an entrance door for the ancient Côa Valley, where, through the art, the humankind is revealed.

CONTACTS
Museu do Côa, Rua do Museu
5150-610 Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Portugal
Photo by António Martinho Batista

Tel (geral e visitas):  +351 279 768 260/1
http://www.arte-coa.pt

Museum: N 41º 04’ 47.5’’ ; W 7º 06’ 44.4’’
Castelo Melhor Site: N 41º 01’ 31.7’’ ; W 7º 04’ 00.2’’

* Text from the website Arte-coa.pt

Guided Tours	Canoeing	River beaches	Picadeiro D'el Rey Horse Arena	Thermal water and Spa	Faia Brava Reserve	Serra da Malcata Nature Reserve	Archaeological Park of the Côa Valley	Museums	Local Celebrationss

How to get here

 

BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTS Lisboa - Fóios Train (www.cp.pt) or BUS (www.citiexpress.eu; http://www.rede-expressos.pt/; http://www.rodonorte.pt/) ) towards Guarda; BUS towards Sabugal BUS towards Fóios www.viuvamonteiro.pt/expressos.html Lisboa - Vila Nova de Foz Côa Train (www.cp.pt) or BUS (www.citiexpress.eu) towards Guarda; Bus towards Vila Nova de Foz Côa (infortmation only available at the BUS Station, Guarda) Porto - Vila Nova de Foz Côa Train (www.cp.pt) towards Pocinho BUS towards VNFC (Monday to friday, at 11 am an 7pm) Porto - Fóios BUS towards Guarda (www.citiexpress.eu; http://www.rede-expressos.pt/; http://www.rodonorte.pt/) BUS towards Sabugal ABUS toward Fóios www.viuvamonteiro.pt/expressos.html

BY CAR Lisboa - Fóios Follow the Auto-Route A1 Norte Enter the auto-route A23 on the exit Abrantes/Cast.Branco/Torres Novas Exit number 32 towards Sabugal N233 From Sabugal towards Quadrazais/Vale Espinho/Fóios Lisboa - Vila Nova de Foz Côa Follow the Auto-Route A1 Norte Enter the auto-route A23 on the exit Abrantes/Cast.Branco/Torres Novas Follow the Auto-Route A25 towards Aveiro Exit on IP 2 towards Vila Nova de Foz Côa Porto - Vila Nova de Foz Côa Follow the auto-route A4 towards Vila Real Exit on IP5 Exit on IP 2 towards Vila Nova de Foz Côa Porto - Fóios Follow the Auto-Route A1 Norte towards Albergaria-a-velha Exit 16 towards A25 Viseu Exit 30 towards Guarda Sul, Portalegre Exit 35 towards N 233 Sabugal From Sabugal towards Quadrazais/Vale Espinho/Fóios

CROSS THE CÔA VALLEY GRAND ROUTE	SIGNAL POSTS AND MARKS	CODE OF CONDUCT	WHERE TO SLEEP	TAXI  & TRANSFER	HOW TO GET THERE	INTERACTIVE MAP	DOWNLOADS	USEFUL CONTACTS	FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS