Approved Path - Camping and Mountaineering Federation of Portugal
Extreme heat in summer is recommended
Trail
The Penhascoso Route stretches along an extensive and green valley crossed entirely by the Coadouro stream, the main thread of this trail. Along the way, water is a constant presence, and there are many places that invite you to be in close contact with nature.
The trail starts and ends in the Jardim do Fundão, in the center of the picturesque village of Penhascoso, rich in cultural heritage and landscapes. The bandstand, the various chapels and fountains, as well as the Church of Nossa Senhora do Pranto and the Clock Tower, in addition to the houses, beautiful and cared for, deserve a careful and long look before (or after) the walk.
With notes that recall, here and there, lives dedicated to the countryside, cattle and pine forests, this is a markedly rural trail, where some still cultivated fields, small flocks and bucolic landscapes stand out.
Natural Heritage
As you travel along the banks of the Penhascoso you will find banks with riparian galleries populated by tree species such as the ash, the alder and the water lily. As we move away from the waters, other native species appear, among which we can highlight the strawberry tree, the Lily-of-the-Valley Tree and several varieties of orchids that color the landscape.
In the skies abound birds of prey in search of their prey, some common presences are the harpy eagle, the booted eagle, the common hawk and the common buzzard that lives all year round in these parts. In the flatter areas we find ponds and shallow wells populated with several species of water snakes, frogs, toads and other amphibians.
Cultural Heritage
To walk the 18km that make up the Penhascoso Route is to take a walk through a truly charming and genuine area. Besides the vast built patrimony in the locality of Penhascoso, from which we point out the magnificent Fonte Velha, we also highlight in this route the Coadouro Bridge, Roman, composed of three arches, the largest central one, with talamares on the foot of both sides, the (abandoned) village of Monte João Dias and the Fountain, Public Washing and Drinking of the Donkeys, these three in Carregueira.
As for the natural patrimony, there are the viewpoints of Casal do Barba Pouca (village where a silex halberd was found), Coadouro and Serra da Feiteira, the water mine of Ribeirinho, Fraga da Penha, rock formation with potential for climbing lovers, the Penha Well and the Coadouro Dam.