Description Arouca

Arouca is located in the heart of the Douro river basin (to which the Arda river flows from the Arouca valley, which flows into the Douro river), as well as the Paiva river (which runs through a part of the northeast area of ??the municipality of Arouca and flows into the Douro River), where the Paiva Walkways are located, an hour away from Porto.

The territory of the municipality of Arouca has the typical characteristics of the Douro Litoral, in the heart of the Douro river basin. It is a type of territory made up of fertile valleys, plateaus and half-slopes, with a considerable mountainous part, where agriculture and forestry have a significant and complementary expression in the local economy. A territory with an abundance of water courses that rise on the tops of the mountains and form the typical valleys of the Douro Litoral, such as the valley of the Arda river.

Arouca confectionery is an exquisite and ancestral confectionery. Examples of conventual sweets from Arouca are sweet chestnuts, almond breads, nun's bellies, manjar de lingua, São Bernardo bread, sweet blood sausages and almond cigars. The Pão de Ló de Arouca, the cavacas and the melindres. Pão de Ló de Arouca has been made since 1840. Among the most recent sweets, the 'trilobites', the 'parideiras' and pumpkin breads from Souto Redondo (Urrô parish) are worth mentioning.

Arouca is also known for being a municipality where high quality Arouquesa meat dishes are made, of the Arouquesa bovine breed, namely the oven-roasted veal, the famous Alvarenga steaks, the Arouquesa steak, the medallions and the Arouquesa veal kebab, the arouques ribs, the arouquesa veal in the bowl and the grilled arouquesa veal ribs. The oven-roasted Gralheira goat, of the Serrana goat breed, an autochthonous breed, is also one of the highly appreciated gastronomic specialties of Arouca.

Almost the entire territory of the municipality of Arouca belongs to the Demarcated Region of Vinho Verde, also giving rise to several derivatives, such as wine brandy, marc and honey brandy, produced and consumed also in Arouca...

The Paiva Walkways, the 516 Arouca Bridge, Rio Urtigosa are a must-see.

Other attractions are the traditional dances and choirs of the region, the Ethnographic Complex of Moldes, the Harvest Fair, Arouca Monastery, Frecha da Mizarela, Monte da Senhora da Mó Viewpoint at 711 meters altitude, Pico da Gralheira Viewpoint at 1100 meters altitude , The 41 geosites of the Arouca Geopark, Arouca Geopark