PR8Barragem de Prada

A route for everyone

This is the easiest route in the network, and that is its strength. It is not a lesser version of the others — it is the way in: wide paths, very gentle gradients and no difficult sections from start to finish. It can be walked with children, with grandparents, with anyone who has never laced up a pair of hiking boots. And yet it leads to a pond full of birds, a dam, and a kilometre of water running alongside one's feet.

It is exactly the right measure of countryside for those spending a few days at the Parque Biológico de Vinhais who want to experience, without effort, what the Parque Natural de Montesinho has to offer.

Start and finish at the Parque Biológico

The route is circular and begins and ends at the Parque Biológico de Vinhais. One steps out through the gate and is immediately in open country, among pine woods, water meadows and wide views over the valleys to the south. To the north, in the distance, the village of Travanca can be seen nestled against the Serra da Coroa.

A Charca do Vidoeiro

About a kilometre from the Parque, a short detour leads to the Charca do Vidoeiro, a freely accessible stretch of water and one of the best spots in the area for birdwatching. On the bank there is a wooden hide, built for those who wish to sit and wait. The rule is simple and children learn it quickly: the quieter one is, the more one sees.

A Barragem de Prada

The dam gives the route its name and marks its centrepiece, at the point furthest from the Parque Biológico. The path follows half of the shoreline, with the water always alongside, and reveals a landscape that is not merely scenic: this water irrigates the surrounding fields, and it is thanks to it that the water meadows remain green when summer tightens its grip.

Os canais de regadio

From the dam run the channels that carry water to the land, and the route follows them for about a kilometre. This is the most distinctive stretch of the walk: one moves at the pace of the water, along the almost level line it has carved into the hillside. Those who wish to go further will find an answer at the same starting point: the PR9 · Caminho da Ciradelha also departs from the Parque Biológico, offering a short climb to the finest viewpoint over the town.