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516 Arouca Bridge: Hike and Paiva Walkways Adventure
4.9
37 Ratings
Alvarenga
Experience the thrill of walking across the 516 Arouca Suspension Bridge and explore the stunning Paiva River Valley on this guided tour. Marvel at breathtaking views, waterfalls, and cliffs along the Paiva Walkways.
Experience the thrill of walking across the 516 Arouca Suspension Bridge and explore the stunning Paiva River Valley on this guided tour. Marvel at breathtaking views, waterfalls, and cliffs along the Paiva Walkways.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
-
Passadicos do Paiva - Walk along the Paiva Walkways, stop at scenic viewpoints to snap photos. See the famous zig-zag staircases, riparian forests, waterfalls, and cliffs of the gorge. Halfway through, take a break at Vau River Beach and restore your energy with some traditional snacks, juice, and fresh fruits.
On hot days, take a dip in the river….
-
Passadicos do Paiva - Walk along the Paiva Walkways, stop at scenic viewpoints to snap photos. See the famous zig-zag staircases, riparian forests, waterfalls, and cliffs of the gorge. Halfway through, take a break at Vau River Beach and restore your energy with some traditional snacks, juice, and fresh fruits.
On hot days, take a dip in the river. From here to the end of the trail, get closer to the river. Feel the strength of the rapids through their roaring sounds. After the hike, be driven to the mountain area of Arouca. - Arouca Geopark - The Arouca Geopark, it’s a classified territory recognized by UNESCO from 2009, that gathers 41 Geosites within an area of 328 square kilometers. It defines Arouca as a territory with a special Geological Heritage, where you can find phenomena such as “Birthing Stones” and “Giant Trilobite Fossils” that are unique on the world and others like “Frecha da Mizarela”, the highest waterfall in mainland Portugal, the “Corn Bread Stones” or the “Union Stones”, and some more amazing attractions!
- 516 Arouca - Ponte Suspensa - Prepare for the most exciting 516 meters of your life on the 516 Arouca Suspension Bridge, one of the longest suspension pedestrian bridges in the world. Be suspended by Tibetan-style steel cables in the sky, 175 meters above River Paiva and Aguieiras Waterfall.
What's Included
- Tickets to the Paiva Walkways and the 516 Arouca Bridge
- Interpretative Guide along the walk
- Photo Report
- Lunch
- Snacks
- Bottled water
- All Fees and Taxes
- Personal Accident Insurance
- Tickets to the Paiva Walkways and the 516 Arouca Bridge
- Interpretative Guide along the walk
- Photo Report
- Lunch
- Snacks
- Bottled water
- All Fees and Taxes
- Personal Accident Insurance
Additional Information
Begin your journey in Alvarenga, where you’ll embark on a hike along ancient village trails leading to the 516 Arouca Bridge.
Get ready for an exhilarating 516 meters on the 516 Arouca Suspension Bridge, renowned as one of the longest pedestrian suspension bridges globally. Experience the thrill of being suspended 175 meters above the Paiva River….
Begin your journey in Alvarenga, where you’ll embark on a hike along ancient village trails leading to the 516 Arouca Bridge.
Get ready for an exhilarating 516 meters on the 516 Arouca Suspension Bridge, renowned as one of the longest pedestrian suspension bridges globally. Experience the thrill of being suspended 175 meters above the Paiva River.
Continue your adventure on the Paiva Walkways, a wooden path constructed along the cliffs of the Paiva River. Midway, take a break at Vau River Beach. On warm days, the river offers a refreshing swim, so don’t forget your swimsuit!
Conclude your day with a delightful Board of Traditional Portuguese Charcuterie and Cheese paired with a drink. You can then choose from an Arouquesa Steak Sandwich, Arouquesa Beef Hamburger, Veggie Burger, or Tuna Sandwich (included in the “With Lunch” option).
- Pessoas com mobilididade reduzida
- Crianças com menos de 6 anos
Location
Just Come - Ponte 516 Arouca & Passadiços do Paiva - Walking Tour
Your Guide will be wearing a white T-shirt with a "Just Come"
logo.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(37 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Rosalies121
Jun 29, 2025
Q: What’s more scenic than the Douro? A: the Paiva River. - Inez Castro is a fabulous tour guide including lots of ecological and geographical information about the GeoPark. It was quite a hot day but she brought enough water to keep us hydrated. The connections all went smoothly. The lunch stop on a Sunday afternoon felt very authentic with Portuguese families and children sharing outdoor picnic lunches by the beach. We even had time to take a dip in the Paiva River to cool off. Our final stop was a sweet shop with specialty pastries and baked goods to share on our way back to Porto.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carolineke8200fe
Jun 10, 2025
Just do - Fantastic bridge and walk. Fun facts heard along the way. Seen a lot. Private driver there and back. We had a great time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephandstevep
Jun 9, 2025
Stunning trip - What an experience, our lady guide was excellent, happy to share her expertise and knowledge of the area and its geology, flora and fauna. Wonderful scenery although the bridge was a bit daunting to start with, the views were amazing and made it all worthwhile. The Paiva route along the river was wonderful, but lots of steps down, be warned!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
276ellys
May 24, 2025
Would recommend it to anyone, wonderful day - My sister and I enjoyed with our guide Ines, had a lot of information about the culture and nature
Great tour to do
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dianne
May 23, 2025
Ecotourism At Its Best. - Exceptional experience in a UNESCO site with a local guide who provided so much information supporting the significance of the area. The tour was well planned and well executed, everything from the transfers, the backpacks and snacks, the safety precautions for the bridge, the leadership and friendly atmosphere made the tour one of the best experiences ever. The views are breathtaking , the walk was not too strenuous, the walk over the bridge was exciting and the guide prepared us to make it an unbelievable event. We were a group of 5 and the guide Inesh ( not sure how to spell) learned our names quickly and chatted with all of us along the way. We saw things and learned so much about the area and the effort to promote ecotourism. The weather was sunny and warm, no annoying insects, just stunning views of the river, rapids, little beaches, plants and animals along 8 km of good trails and walkways. We had a delicious burger and beer back at the restaurant and watched an open roast take place! The driver who brought us from Porto was very friendly and the last stop at a local bakery was a nice touch, lots of sweets to try with a beverage. We highly recommend this experience from Just Come who arranged everything for us and provided timely responses to my questions when making the booking from Portugal Cove NL Canada.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kimbermai
Dec 1, 2024
Amazing trip! - Our driver Sergio was amazing and took care of us on the ride to Arouca. When we arrived we were given backpacks with waters and snacks, a very nice touch. John, our Guide, was informative and friendly and took photos of everyone on the trip. The bride, the views and the location were stunning. Lunch was very tasty and we ended the day with coffee and sweets in town with our driver Sergio. I highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cruiser65164588735
Sep 17, 2024
Immersion in nature and expert hand engineering. Lovely. - A beautiful mountain range, accessible by wooden passageways and an unforgettable experience over the 516 suspension bridge over the Paiva River. But the best part was Pedro Resende’s expert, attentive, generous and extraordinarily pleasant Guide to Why Not On Nature. One enjoyed by day, enjoying and learning.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Caseface2k
Aug 24, 2024
A Glowing Review for JustCome Tours of Arouca 516 - Our driver, Sergio as well a our tour/hiking guide Ines were spectacular. The trip commenced with a hotel pickup (very convenient) in Porto at 8:00am followed by the drive out 1.5 hours to Arouca. When booking the tour, we had the choice of renting a car and I'm glad we didn't, not because the drive itself was long or dangerous but it allowed us to take in the sights along the way on a very beautiful route into the mountains.
After a brief coffee and bathroom break upon arrival in the Arouca town square, the tour itself began with an intro to the region and the background of the area followed by a short walk to the bridge. The bridge itself is magnificent and an architectural marvel and incredibly safe, even if you have a fear of heights, the bridge didn't shake or wobble substantially (people aren't allowed to run or jump on it, obviously). The views were magnificent.
Following the bridge, we had a long (LONG) hike down the trail and the Paiva wooden walkway. If you aren't able bodied, be aware that this will be a taxing walk, going down the steps instead of up. The pathway itself is well constructed, but the wood in 5 years or so will probably begin deteriorating as it didn't seem fully weather proofed. I'd expect a lot of maintenance work on the wooden planks over the next few years to keep it up to standard. The walk itself was very scenic and was accompanied by a few breaks where our guide gave us information about the surroundings, and as we reached the halfway point, had the opportunity for drinks and sandwiches at a riverside bar and also a chance to take a dip in the river to cool off. In August, I'm glad I wore versatile shorts that I could get wet in!
If this experience is the norm for other tour groups in Porto, I'd highly recommend a tour given by JustCome.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alexandrine
Aug 11, 2024
It is a must! - Our Guide was adorable, patient and very attentive! Thank you Inès!!! 😉😉😉
We had a very nice time. The landscapes are beautiful! The ride is great even if we got a little hot.
(The sun was on).
The organization was top (bottles and snacks included).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Miranda
Aug 4, 2024
Nice walking tour in beautiful surroundings - A nice walk over the highest suspension bridge and the wooden bridges. We had a very nice guide who told a lot about nature and surroundings. She also took pictures in between which we later received via email. Finally, there was a cozy and tasty lunch!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
