This is the best day tour from Porto to the Arouca 516 Suspension.
With a very convenient pick-up from central Porto you will head straight to Arouca.
In Arouca there is a brief stop where you are invited to taste the local specialities, enjoy the green area just outside the monastery and to get ready for the connection between Arouca and the 516 Arouca.
Around 20 minutes after departing from Arouca we reach the bridge and the Paiva Walkways!
For the next 3 to 4 hours (depending on the pace of the group, weather conditions, picture times, etc.) you will spend your time crossing the bridge and walking along the Paiva river in a wooden walkway.
After this great hike we follow a mountain road for 15 minutes and have lunch in a family owned restaurant in Alvarenga!
The ride back to Porto will last for around 90 minutes.
Be brave! Join us!
Posted By : soumya812
Amazing trip and professionally arranged! Highly recommend this to everyone visiting Porto - a great way to see something different and beautiful.
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Posted On : 2024-05-19 15:02:18 
Posted By : ronbK6802WV
I had an amazing day with my wife, our guide João, and the rest of the group members. Crossing the suspended bridge and exploring the Paiva Walkways was delightful, and the food was more than plentiful. João is an excellent guide and speaks fluently in several languages.
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Posted On : 2024-05-18 04:20:18
Posted By : Alyssa_C
Beautiful views, guide was a good driver and very friendly. It would have been better to have been offered a water bottle to take on the hike vs after the 3 hour hike, but we were fine as it wasn’t a hot day. Great exercise; not for the faint of heart.
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Posted On : 2024-05-17 17:06:13 
Posted By : 53suzettel
So many people talk about Douro Valley, but we heard that Porto/northern Portugal have great parks and scenic hikes -- so we were excited to see that Detours had a trip to the Arouca suspension bridge and the Paiva Walkways. If you like nature, architecture, hiking, and supporting small local businesses, pack some comfortable shoes -- highly recommend.
Our guide Tomás was excellent, knowledgeable (about the hike AND Porto recommendations!) and created a positive and supportive environment for our diverse group! We first headed to get some traditional local almond-based sweets in Arouca at a beautiful cafe (my favourite were the "magpie eggs" and "cigars"). Then Tomás took us to the Arouca suspension bridge to start, and the walkways to finish (the inverse route is MUCH more exhausting!); the bridge is quite long and very high up, so if you're afraid of heights you might want to mention this to your guide. We met up halfway and found a neat spot off the halfway (4km) marker. A lot of the hike reminded me of Lord of the Rings, which was awesome. By this point we were starving so to finish off, we ate in a local restaurant in Alvarenga and all the traditional Portuguese food was delicious -- you will not leave hungry or disappointed.
In a nutshell, this trip was one of my favourites memories of my time in Portugal. The guides, the experience, and Detours' approach to supporting communities was fantastic.
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Posted On : 2024-05-15 17:29:04
Posted By : everybodyhatesjoshie
I had the most amazing day, one that me and my best friend will remember for the rest of our lives. Teresa, our guide, knew all the most interesting details during our tour and she treated us like we were her friends. If you’re in Porto make sure to take this tour, would be worth calling the company to make sure you’re doing this tour with Teresa because she’s the best!
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Posted On : 2024-05-15 10:49:51
Posted By : 727bettinaf
We had an amazing trip with our guide ANA! She is the best guide I have ever had- she gave us a lot of informations and was very,very friendly! The Arouca Suspension Bridge was very exciting an I highly recommend it! The lunch that was included was delicious! It was a wonderful day and we are very happy that we were able to experience it! Thank you ANA!
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Posted On : 2024-05-15 00:49:00
Posted By : Aboa B
I had a very great day with our guide Tomás and the rest of the group.
It was nice crossing the suspended bridge and following the Paiva Walkways. And regarding the food we had more than our fill.
Would 100% recommand. Thanks again!
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Posted On : 2024-05-14 14:57:16
Posted By : Voyager29174421901
Great tour on a beautiful day with great food at our lunch! Ana took care of us!! Highly recommend. PS sorry I got lost Ana :)
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Posted On : 2024-05-14 10:03:56
Posted By : David_L
The Paiva walk way with its many stairs and boardwalks was a highlight of our stay in Portugal. The Arouca bridge was also spectacular and an engineering masterpiece. The pastries and lunch were memorable. Guilherme our guide brought it all together. Wonderful tour!
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Posted On : 2024-05-12 21:29:29
Posted By : TXChleo
The views are fabulous along the ~7 mile hike. You want to ensure you have water and sunscreen, as well as have great walking /hiking shoes and are prepared to walk up ~500 steps at the beginning. Once you make it - the next 6.5 miles are much easier. But, it isn't always on even ground - so folks who have any balance issues or cannot handle such a long hike or the steps should not consider. The suspension bridge is fabulous - don't be afraid. It's quite sturdy and safe - but, it is a suspension bridge, which means it will move.
The stops for sweets at the beginning and the fabulous lunch as a reward at the end are well worth it. The lunch was some of the best meats I have had in Portugal.
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Posted On : 2024-05-11 14:26:00
