Page 458 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

derstand just how close ros, visit the Museu da
9 Vila Nova de these aeons-old drawings Terra de Miranda (Praça
Foz Côa came to disappearing. de Dom João III; admission €2,
Sun morning free; h9am-1pm
Welcome to the heart of The Drive » Wrap up your & 2-6pm Wed-Sun, 2-6pm Tue).
the Douro’s terra quente road trip by driving 120km If you’d rather get a taste
(hot land). This once- northeast to Miranda do Douro of the rugged nature on
via the N102, IP2 and IC5. The
remote, whitewashed closer the Spanish border, the Miranda’s doorstep,
town has been on the more you’ll notice the shift in Europarques (%273
map since the 1990s, scenery, with lushness giving 432 396; www.europarques.
when researchers, during way to more arid, rugged terrain, com; adult/child under 10yr
a proposed project for speckled with vineyards and €16/8; htrips 4pm daily,
a dam, stumbled across olive groves. plus 11am Sat & Sun) runs
an astounding stash of 1½-hour river boat trips
Paleolithic art. Thou- along a dramatic gorge.
sands of these mysterious a Miranda do Douro Boats leave from beside
rock engravings speckle A fortified frontier town the dam on the Portu-
the Río Côa valley. Come hunkering down on guese side. Stop by the
to see its world-famous the precipice of the Río Parque Natural do Douro
gallery of rock art at the Douro canyon, Miranda Internacional Office
Parque Arqueológico do do Douro was long a bul- (%273 431 457; Largo do
Vale do Côa (www.arte-coa. wark of Portugal’s ‘wild Castelo; h9.30am-12.30pm
pt; Av Gago Coutinho 19 A, Foz east’. While its crumbling & 2-5.30pm Mon-Fri) for the
Côa; park €10, museum €5 castle and handsomely inside scoop on hiking
(on Sun afternoons €1), park severe 16th-century among the woods and
& museum €12; hmuseum cathedral still lend an air towering granite cliffs
PORTUGAL 32 DOuRO VALLEY VINEYARD TRAILS
10am-1.30pm & 2-5.30pm of medieval charm, mod- of the 832-sq-km park,
Tue-Sun, park 9am-12.30pm ern-day Miranda now home to bird species
& 2-5.30pm Tue-Sun). The receives weekend Span- including black storks,
three sites open to the ish tourists, as opposed Egyptian vultures,
public include Canada do to repelling Castillian peregrine falcons, golden
Inferno, with departures attacks. For an insight on eagles and Bonelli’s
at around 9.30am from the region’s border cul- eagles.
the park museum in Vila ture, including ancient
Nova de Foz Côa, which rites such as the ‘stick 54 p457
is the ideal place to un- dancing’ of the paulitei-

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