The Route of the Geosites is a tourist-cultural route with scientific interest that reveals itself as an innovative and differentiating product, giving continuity to the effort to qualify and enhance the region’s geological heritage and to the promotion of the tourist activity of the Arouca Geopark. Traveling through it is a way of getting to know the territory, combining knowledge with a unique and memorable experience, in a geotouristic destination of excellence. This Route integrates a large set of properly signalized geosites, some of them with visitation support infrastructures, such as interpretation centers, observation platforms and/or interpretive panels. It also has a guide that can accompany the entire visitation. In addition to geological information, this guide presents suggestions for visiting other points of interest that complement your visit to the remaining natural and cultural heritage. 

The Route of the Geosites is composed of 3 itineraries, determined based on criteria intrinsically related to the Arouca Geopark geosites: a)geographic proximity, b)touristic interest, c)accessibility, d)vulnerability and e)diversification of interests of the site. 


Freita, the enchanted mountain 

It is situated in the south of the territory and includes 11 geosites. 


Through the unknown mines and meanders of Paiva 

It is located in the southeast area of the Arouca Geopark and includes 8 geosites. 


Paiva, the surprising river 

It integrates 12 geosites and is placed in the northeast area of the territory. 

These 3 routes of the Geosites Route of different paths can be driven by car, but the access to some of them will have to be made by foot. The high interest of this Route results of the fact of allowing an interconnected visit between the geosites, which stop being seen as isolated geological events, but rather as related with each other and with the ability of telling chapters of our planet Earth’s geological history, particularly evidenced in this UNESCO Geopark.