UNESCO Territory

What if suddenly you were presented with a live book telling the history of the Earth represented on the rocky landscape, the rivers running in a hurry, the green of the landscape, and the silence of the mountain? Yes, in the Arouca Geopark it is possible to travel in space and time. Those who arrive here are surprised at each step, and the destination is not only the end of the journey. It is, on the contrary, the beginning of another adventure, going back in time, until the beginning of a history with more than 500 million years. 

Please note: the entire municipality of Arouca is classified as UNESCO Global Geopark. Every centimeter of the 328 square kilometers. Every smile that welcomes the ones who arrive here. Every heather flower painting the Freita Mountain’s plateau. Every drop of water of the Paiva River’s rapids. This huge green cloak has 41 geological interesting sites (geosites), and almost half of them is classified by the Natura 2000 network. 

But, more than arrive here, we must live. And to live means passing through unique experiences that arise in this place. There are pedestrian trails to go through, to meet and to record on the best photo albums of the memory. There are amazing trails that let the adventure continue by mountain bike. There are explosions of adrenaline in the adventure sports of the Paiva. There are traditional villages that keep and plan for the future the memory of those who lived and still live here. There is the handicraft, the folklore and the traditions that keep telling our history. And all that makes part of us and defines us is kept and preserved here, waiting for the moment to be told and left has a heritage to the future generations. 

So, here, you will always have your place in the history. In the history of the Earth. In our history. In your history. In a new history that we’ll write together from the moment we tell you «Welcome to the Arouca Geopark».