From Porto: Aveiro, Paiva Walkways, Suspension Bridge and Lunch

Embark on an adventure from Porto to Aveiro and the Paiva Walkways. Cross the impressive 516 Arouca Suspension Bridge and explore the 7km wooden boardwalk along the Paiva river. Indulge in a delicious meal, relax in Aveiro, and take a boat trip through the canals. Book now!

Duration: 9 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

Notice: Due to high temperatures in the summer, we recommend starting your walk in the morning and leaving the hotel by 8:30 AM to avoid the afternoon heat spikes.

  • This tour begins at 8:30 AM as we head towards the Paiva Walkways;
  • Upon arriving at the Arouca Geopark, we embark on an 8 km walk through nature and splendor. Right at the start, prepare for one of the highlights: the stairway!
  • After the walk, it’s time to recharge with a delicious traditional meal at a local restaurant.
  • Following lunch, we’ll visit Aveiro, starting with an appreciation of the tile art on the walls of the beautiful train station, which will help us understand the city’s culture and history;
  • Next, enjoy a boat ride on a traditional “moliceiro” through the canals, including a historical explanation of its significance to the city’s history;
  • Then, take a stroll through the old quarter of the city, see the main emblematic buildings, the fish market, and taste one of the city’s delicacies: sweet eggs;
  • Our tour continues towards Costa Nova, the magnificent fishing village known for its brightly striped wooden houses;
  • Return to your hotel in Porto.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • BOAT RIDE AT THE AVEIRO CANALS
  • AVEIRO RAILWAY STATION
  • FISH MARKET
  • HISTORICAL CENTER
  • COSTA NOVA FISHING VILLAGE
  • TRADITIONAL LUNCH
  • PAIVA WALKWAYS

Points of Interest

  • 516 Arouca - Ponte Suspensa
  • Paiva Walkway
  • Arouca
  • Aveiro
  • Praia da Costa Nova
What's Included
  • Lunch
  • Visit To Costa Nova
  • Ticket for the Arouca 516 Footbridge
  • Driver/Local Guide
  • Boat ride at Aveiro river canals
  • Transport by air-conditioned minivan
  • The Paiva Walkways Tickets
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Any service that is not clearly specified in the inclusions
Additional Information

In this tour, the walk difficulty level is Easy/Medium! Youll walk only 5km and downstream! Short description: Go across one of the longest suspension bridges of the world and walk the Paiva Walkways trail! Visit one of the highlights of Portugal: Costa Nova, and Aveiro, the Portuguese Venice! We leave from Porto towards Arouca town where well stop shortly.

After a short drive, well arrive at the Walkways and go across the Suspension Bridge! It spans 516 meters-long across the valley and hangs 175m above the Paiva river! Then, youll walk the Paiva Walkways downhill in a total length of 5km over a wooden boardwalk zig-zagging along the Paiva river.

The walk will be followed by another highlight of our day: lunch! (fish and vegetarian options also available)

After a power nap in the van, we`ll visit Costa Nova and the colorful houses!

Time to enjoy Aveiro! Short walk in the city center, enjoy some free time and relax on a boat trip to see the charming city through the canals!

  • Only children 6+ years old can cross the Bridge and must be accompanied by an adult
  • A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
  • Notice: Right before our walk starts, we need to go through a winding road over the Paiva mountain. If you have car motion sickness problems, we advise you to have a tablet or a pill to help with that issue.
Location
Calçada de Vandoma
Next to Estátua de Vímara Peres ((Horse statue at Porto Cathedral))
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(278 Ratings)
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Pels123
Jul 30, 2024
Memorable - Glad to experience this tour. Highly recommend! Mauro, our tour guide/driver, was very pleasant. Great lunch. Everyone should try it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jacqueline_t
Jul 30, 2024
Exploring 2 cities, a hike, and a boat ride. A beautiful way to spend the day! - I appreciated the guide and his historic explanation, the variety of the activities and sights, and a beautiful lunch.
Review provided by Viator
Lamjll_g
Jul 26, 2024
A bit of a tough walk, but to me totally worth it 😊 - The Paiva walkway and the bridge was amazing. Our guide Luis was excellent and knowledgeable. I will recommend it to everyone. And the food and drink delicious 🥰
Review provided by Viator
Rachelle_g
Jul 26, 2024
Amazing experience! - Mauro was a fantastic guide he was knowledgeable funny and a great driver. He wanted to make sure everyone was comfortable and having a good time. The suspension bridge was an incredible experience, the views were breathtaking and it was such a thrill to walk across. Lunch was also fantastic! The only thing I would advise is that the walkways after the bridge is a distance and will take some time, wear comfortable sneakers and bring water with you.
Review provided by Viator
Jessica_f
Jul 20, 2024
A great tour you should book - What a great day with Mauro!! We had so much fun with this small group tour. Our guide was friendly and informative. The tour itself allowed us to see so many worth while places. And the bridge was definitely an experience!! Not as scary as you might think—the view was fantastic!! Thank you for a wonderful day!
Review provided by Viator
Dave_h
Jul 12, 2024
Great tour with scenic views - This is a must-see area when visiting Portugal! The suspension bridge is great for those not fearful of heights, and the walkways were very scenic and interesting. Also enjoyed the unique fishing villages we saw. Our guide was informative and helpful in educating us on the areas we saw. Would highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Brian_b
Jul 7, 2024
Beautiful Gem on our Porto Holiday - An excellent trip with a superb host - Mauro. Not only did the trip take in the beautiful and picturesque Paiva walkways but we benefited from the charming coastal resort of Aveiro and all that this area has to offer, including the wild Atlantic coast. Included in the day was a lovely lunch, real value for money.
Review provided by Viator
Dara_c
Jul 6, 2024
Great day! - We really enjoyed our day. The suspension bridge was fun to walk across. The wooden walkways were nice and I’m happy we had such a beautiful day because I can imagine it can get quite hot a grueling. The added stop in Costa Nova was a pleasant surprise. And the town of Aveiro was adorable. Loved our tour guide. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Gmslp
Jun 29, 2024
Unique experience - This tour was a great way to see the smaller things in Portugal. I never thought I would be able to be as active as I was but this was so incredible that it allowed me to push myself. The suspension bridge was a very unique experience and I really enjoyed it. The pathways were not as picturesque as the photos but a cool experience. Make sure to bring a lot of water if you do this. The lunch was delicious. The small towns of costa nova and Aveiro were quaint and we enjoyed walking around them and riding the boat though the canals. Thanks to our guide Joao for making it a great experience
Review provided by Viator
Catrionaw212
Jun 27, 2024
Great Guide, Beautiful Sights, A Lot of Walking - Our guide Luis was wonderful. He was kind, very knowledgeable, and communicated the day's plans clearly. He provided lots of history and tid bits of information both during the excursions and on between during the van rides. The suspension bridge offered a bit of a thrill and definitely beautiful views over a river. If you are scared of heights, this portion will be a challenge you. Also, if you are bringing children close to the age of 6 you will need to prove that they are 6+ with some form of ID in order for them to cross the bridge. The Paiva Walkway downward offered different vantage points of the suspension bridge, river, and surrounding mountains. Really beautiful. And the 5k walk (usually 7k but the last 2k was closed during our visit) takes you along the river and allows you to admire the mountain side, trees, and flowers up close. We ended wearing our 6 and 7 y.o. kiddos on our backs for the last 1k or so, as they started losing pace with the rest of the group. The boat ride along the canals in Aveiro is a relaxing break after the long walk on Paiva, and is an informative experience around the history of the towns architecture, salt trade history, etc. Costa Nova is a quick stop before you head home, with beautiful brightly colored houses, and some history about the fishing village. All around a wonderful tour, especially with Luis.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 8 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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