CÔA VALLEY ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK
Sublime site classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its open-air rock art. Can only be visited by reservation.
Probably the least known UNESCO World Heritage Site in Portugal. The conditions of its visit do not really contribute to it. Practically at the end of the world, it is essential to reserve to visit the three rock art sites open to the public. Here are some of the most beautiful and numerous open-air rock engravings of more than 25,000 years in Europe. The Côa Valley site was discovered in the 1990s and covers an area of 20 km.
Three sites can be visited:
La Canada do Inferno. Visit of 2 hours, in 4x4, then a walk of about 1 km, which allows to discover engravings of the paleolithic, as well as works engraved in the stone during the 18th century. It was here that the first engravings were discovered in 1991, among them representations of goats, which have become the symbol of the park.
Ribeira de Piscos. A little farther, the visit will take you 3 hours, a route in 4x4 and a walk of about 2 km. A very particular site, due to the very rare representations of the European Paleolithic. We can see a remarkable anthropomorphic naturalist figure.
Penascosa. The site near the village of Castelo Melhor, more accessible and inserted in a landscape without equal, is known for its representative images of rock art of the Côa Valley. There is a large quantity of engravings here that are easy to interpret. Visit of 1h30 in 4x4 and a walk of about 200 m.
Further information
Opening time and information on CÔA VALLEY ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK
Park and museum open Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 5:30pm. Admission from €7. Reservations required.
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Members' reviews on CÔA VALLEY ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK
It's not big but has a lot of information. It can be done in less than an hour.
The surroundings are majestic. Beautiful view.
There's a 360 immersive video and plenty of explanations on the rupestre art as well as the explanation of the place.
Highly recommend that you go to see the areas where there is the art. It's a guided tour and helps understand the meaning of it all.
The boat is what we did. It should be the best since you see the newest discovery, from 2020, and is fresher since it is by river.
Le paysage alentour est vertigineux.