Cascata das Aguieiras

Alvarenga / Porto / Arouca Geopark, North Region, Portugal

About Cascata das Aguieiras

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Cascata das Aguieiras is the main waterfall attraction seen from the popular Passadiços do Paiva trail and boardwalk as well as the 516 Arouca 516 Ponte Suspensa (suspension bridge).

It’s where the Ribeira de Vila Galega ou das Aguieiras drops an estimated 100-160m (said to be one of the tallest on the Portugal mainland) from the granite rim of the Paiva Gorge to the Rio Paiva below.

Passadicos_do_Paiva_171_06092024 - Cascata das Aguieiras
Cascata das Aguieiras

By the way, the Rio Paiva is a tributary of the Douro River, the latter of which is one of Portugal’s most famous rivers due to its production of Port as well as other wines.

Despite the viewing distance, the waterfall was big enough to be easily seen across the gorge from the namesake Paiva Boardwalk (which, by the way, requires a paid time slot ticket).

Of course, the 516 Arouca Suspension Bridge (so-named because it’s 516m long; one of the longest such pedestrian suspension bridges) provides a much closer view of the falls.

However, it requires a separate paid ticket from that of the Passadiços do Paiva.

Passadicos_do_Paiva_209_06092024 - The Passadiços do Paiva is an 8km long boardwalk with lots of steps hugging the granite rim of the Paiva Gorge
The Passadiços do Paiva is an 8km long boardwalk with lots of steps hugging the granite rim of the Paiva Gorge

In any case, with the Passadiços do Paiva, it’s also popular to extend the walk into its entire 8km length as a shuttle hike from Areinho to Espiunca or vice versa.

Due to time limitations, we only did the part of this walk from the Areinho side, and this is what I’ll focus on for this page.

The boardwalk was completed in 2015 and the suspension bridge was completed in 2021, but due to these recent developments with much fanfare, it’s probably why this place is quite popular with foreign visitors.

Accessing the Passadiços do Paiva

Even though the trail is in the outdoors, you have to think of the Passadiços do Paiva as a paid excursion that you’ll have to make reservations online in advance.

Passadicos_do_Paiva_085_06092024 - The Passadiços do Paiva follows the lower path to the right while the ascending path on the left leads up to the 516 Arouca Suspension Bridge.  Both of these are paid excursions, and you must purchase tickets in advance on-line
The Passadiços do Paiva follows the lower path to the right while the ascending path on the left leads up to the 516 Arouca Suspension Bridge. Both of these are paid excursions, and you must purchase tickets in advance on-line

In our case, we consulted the Passadiços do Paiva website for official information, and they had a payment link to book our expected date and time of visitation.

We were able to book our date about a month in advance (note: we weren’t able to book earlier because our date wasn’t available at the time).

Once that was done, we got an email with a QR code, which we printed out at home (because you never know if technology fails you when you need it most).

After doing that bit of pre-trip preparation, on the day of our visit, we then drove over to the car park for the Passadiços do Paiva on the Areinho side (see directions below).

Passadicos_do_Paiva_030_06092024 - Walking on the start of the boardwalk for the Passadiços do Paiva as we paralleled underneath the R326-1 Road on our way to the road bridge and steps at the Garganta do Paiva
Walking on the start of the boardwalk for the Passadiços do Paiva as we paralleled underneath the R326-1 Road on our way to the road bridge and steps at the Garganta do Paiva

Then, once we parked the car, we took the trail leading to the established boardwalk leading to a series of steps by the road bridge at the Garganta do Paiva.

This trail actually paralleled the road we had just driven to get to the car park, but it’s recommended to walk the trail because the mountain road is narrower while supporting bi-directional traffic without shoulder space for pedestrians.

Once at the Garganta do Paiva, we continued to walk the trail up several steps to reach the upper parts of the Paiva Gorge and the ticket check area (about 500m from the road bridge and steps at Garganta do Paiva).

This ticket check area was where the visitors queued up to have their QR codes scanned before being let through to either up the 516 Arouca Suspension Bridge or down the actual Passadiços do Paiva.

Passadicos_do_Paiva_051_06092024 - Looking back at the R326-1 Road and the starting part of the Passadiços do Paiva to the left of it as we were making the steep climb up towards the rim of the gorge to continue hiking towards the Cascata das Aguieiras
Looking back at the R326-1 Road and the starting part of the Passadiços do Paiva to the left of it as we were making the steep climb up towards the rim of the gorge to continue hiking towards the Cascata das Aguieiras

Note that the date and time slot on your reservation is only the start time that you have to show up.

In other words, you can show up later than the booked time but not earlier on the day of your pre-booked hike.

In our situation, we actually showed up 3 hours later than our booked time of 10:30am (we got to the queue at 1:30pm).

As for getting to the ticket checking area, realize that even getting up to this point involved going on a hike, which was about 1.6km from the nearest car park.

Passadicos_do_Paiva_083_06092024 - Approaching the ticket check queue and kiosk, which is why you need to book your excursion for the Passadiços do Paiva in advance
Approaching the ticket check queue and kiosk, which is why you need to book your excursion for the Passadiços do Paiva in advance

However, we showed up a bit late (i.e. during the peak hours of the day on a weekend) so we weren’t able to park in the nearest lot, and we had to drive a bit further to park in the spillover lot.

This added an additional 800m of total walking in each direction as the person preventing drivers from going to the nearest lot wouldn’t let us walk the road to the road bridge by the steps going up the Passadiços (saving us 300m of walking).

Therefore, in total, we hiked about 2.4km from the spillover car park to the ticket check kiosk (about double the minimum of 1.6km), and this took us around an hour due to the many steps going up from the road bridge at Garganta do Paiva.

It’s also worth noting that there were some very limited pullout spaces on the side of the road around the Garganta do Paiva road bridge, but those are not reliably available.

Passadicos_do_Paiva_215_06092024 - Looking back down at the steps by the road bridge at the Garganta do Paiva.  Also notice the limited pullout parking spaces along the R326-1 Road.  If you can score one of those spots, I'd take advantage of it because it significant cuts the extra hiking distance along (or more accurately beneath) the road on the Areinho side
Looking back down at the steps by the road bridge at the Garganta do Paiva. Also notice the limited pullout parking spaces along the R326-1 Road. If you can score one of those spots, I’d take advantage of it because it significant cuts the extra hiking distance along (or more accurately beneath) the road on the Areinho side

That said, if you do manage to score a spot like that, then that would shave off anywhere from 1.1km to 1.9km of hiking in each direction.

Finally, even though we didn’t do the 516 Arouca Suspension Bridge, I understand that it’s possible to access the bridge via the town of Alvarenga, which is said to be a gentle 1km walk.

Otherwise, you can use the same car parks as those for the Passadiços do Paiva on the Areinho side, and then do the aforementioned 800m to 1.6km hike with lots of steps.

More info about accessing the 516 Arouca bridge can be found here.

Witnessing the Cascata das Aguieiras

Passadicos_do_Paiva_114_06092024 - Context of a precarious photo op spot before both the Cascata das Aguieiras and the 516 Arouca Bridge as seen early on not far from the ticket checking area along the Passadiços do Paiva
Context of a precarious photo op spot before both the Cascata das Aguieiras and the 516 Arouca Bridge as seen early on not far from the ticket checking area along the Passadiços do Paiva

Beyond the ticket check kiosk, we followed the lower path per the worker’s direction to the continuation of the Passadiços do Paiva.

It only took a few minutes before we started to see the Cascata das Aguieiras waterfall across the gorge.

The further we went on the trail, the more direct the views of the waterfall became, especially when we got under the 516 Arouca Suspension Bridge.

There were a few lookouts to take in the view starting at 250m from the ticket check kiosk to about 450m for perhaps the best views.

Passadicos_do_Paiva_142_06092024 - Julie and Tahia enjoying the view of the Paiva Gorge as well as the Cascata das Aguieiras (to the right of this picture) along the Parede part of the Passadiços do Paiva hike
Julie and Tahia enjoying the view of the Paiva Gorge as well as the Cascata das Aguieiras (to the right of this picture) along the Parede part of the Passadiços do Paiva hike

Among the notable lookout spots that we did included one at a precarious dropoff for a photo op, another beneath the 516 Arouca Bridge by the G35 sign, and finally on the boardwalk steps descending rapidly into the Paiva Gorge.

We actually turned around at a nice lookout on the series of steps descending (or ascending depending on your direction) the Paiva Gorge, which was roughly 450m from the ticket check kiosk.

Overall, we wound up spending around 3 hours away from the car, and I wound up hiking a total distance of about 4.8km give or take (a lot of extra hiking due to having to park at the spillover lot).

That said, on the return hike, I did manage to save my wife and daughter almost 2km of hiking by waiting for me at Garganta do Paiva while I went to pick up the car and then pick them up on our way out.

Passadicos_do_Paiva_010_iPhone_06092024 - Contextual view of the Cascata das Aguieiras underneath the 516 Arouca Suspension Bridge as seen from lookouts along the Passadiços do Paiva
Contextual view of the Cascata das Aguieiras underneath the 516 Arouca Suspension Bridge as seen from lookouts along the Passadiços do Paiva

I do have to say that I did regret not adding a little more effort to go fully down the steps for an unusual view of both the Cascata das Aguieiras together with the Passadiços steps in one shot.

Speaking of extending the hike, there were certainly more options to make a day out of this visit, which I’ll get to below.

Options for Extending the Passadiços do Paiva

In addition to visiting the Cascata das Aguieiras, the entire Passadiços do Paiva boardwalk spans 8km along the Rio Paiva between the trailheads of Areinho and Espiunca.

It’s said that doing this hike in either direction would take about 3 hours, but I can easily envision this taking longer due to rest breaks and photo stops.

Passadicos_do_Paiva_143_06092024 - From our lookout spot for the Cascata das Aguieiras, the Passadiços do Paiva continues its 8km long journey with even more steps to descend.  By the way, these steps are why it's recommended to do the one-way hike from Areinho and not Espiunca because going in the reverse direction means you're doing the whole hike pretty much uphill!
From our lookout spot for the Cascata das Aguieiras, the Passadiços do Paiva continues its 8km long journey with even more steps to descend. By the way, these steps are why it’s recommended to do the one-way hike from Areinho and not Espiunca because going in the reverse direction means you’re doing the whole hike pretty much uphill!

You can arrange for a taxi at either end to keep this a one-way walk instead of doubling the distance (though I understand there used to be a shuttle bus connecting both ends).

In addition to the Garganta do Paiva and the Cascata das Aguieiras that we experienced on our limited walk, there were other attractions and photo stops motivating an extended visit or lingering on the Passadiços do Paiva.

These include the following:

  • Areinho River Beach – a swimming hole and play spot near the Areinho car park
  • Vau River Beach – a swimming hole and play spot (water level dependent) roughly half-way on the Passadiços do Paiva
  • Gola do Salto – a powerful 4m waterfall on the Paiva River closer to the Espiunca side
  • Espiunca Fault – a geological fault exposing black quartzite cliffs by the Espiunca side trailhead
  • Espiunca River Beach – a swimming hole and play spot near the Espiunca car park

Indeed, as you can see, we spent about 3 hours on a very limited portion of the entire Passadiços do Paiva excursion where the Cascata das Aguieiras was our main motivation.

Passadicos_do_Paiva_154_06092024 - Looking downstream in the direction of Espiunca from our turnaround spot at the view of Cascata das Aguieiras
Looking downstream in the direction of Espiunca from our turnaround spot at the view of Cascata das Aguieiras

That said, we’ve seen quite a few people continue past the waterfall and work their way to Espiunca to make at least a half-day out of it.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, even with a big waterfall like the Cascata das Aguieiras, it’s that lots of Europeans tend to savor experiences more so than the pursuing the attraction itself.

And I’d have to say that the other attractions along the Paiva Walkway certainly fits that way of thinking of experiencing the gorge as opposed to being nothing more than additional photo stops.

Authorities

The Cascata das Aguieiras Waterfall is in the Arouca Geopark near the town of Alvarenga in the Aveiro District of Norte Region of Portugal. It is managed by the Municipality of Arouca. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting the Passadiços do Paiva website or the 516 Arouca website.

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Tagged with: alvarenga, aveiro, porto, arouca, passadicos do paiva, paiva, central region, portugal



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Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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