Mosteiro Stream valley, hiking trail with Wildlife Portugal

Douro Internacional

26.2

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A Medieval Causeway

At the Mosteiro Stream Valley there’s an old paved and sinuous path with about 1km in lenght, the Alpajares Causeway. It is a small section of what once was a much longer medieval road. This causeway straddle along a steep slope of the stream valley, a tributary of the Douro River, at the Douro Internacional Natural Park. It is part of a circular hiking, of medium lenght but it is extraordinarily rich in natural, scenic and historic heritage.

Primordial human presence

In this ancient landscape of rugged ground, with a deep valley furrowed by the Mosteiro stream, there are traces of a more primordial human presence. The “Castro” of São Paulo, from the Iron Age períod, summits the hill of the same name, where vestiges of the Roman presence have also been found. At this highest point of the route there are still an old dovecote and some medieval graves excavated in the rock.

Incredible Wildlife

The geology aspects are enhanced by the quartzite outcrops that break through the schist slopes and rise above the ground, assuming strange and interesting shapes, such as folds and natural walls like the “Abalona“. These rocky formations allow the presence of an interesting diversity of cliff-breeding birds, such as the Golden Eagle, the Griffon Vulture, the Egyptian Vulture, the Black Stork, the Black Wheatear, the Blue Rock Thrush and the Crag Martin. On the bottom of the valley, by the water, we can find the Spanish Terrapin (Mauremys leprosa) and the Green Frog (Pelophylax perezi). Here is also one of the best places to find the Nettle-Tree Butterfly (Libythea celtis), a particular butterfly of mediterranean distribution.

Unique botanic values

The botanical characteristics of the valley bring together an interesting set of plants, some of them endemic from this region of the Iberian Península. Plants like the Anarrhinum duriminium, the Linaria saxatilis or the Erysimum linifolium. Some mediterranean plants are also common in the valley. The Prickly Juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus) or the Nettle Tree (Celtis australis).

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DATASHEET

Duration: 4 to 5 hours

Extension: 7,6km

Type: circular

Altitude diferences: 233m (151m to 384m)

Accumulated ascent: 286m

Accumulated descent: 286m

Recommended season: Spring, Autumn and Winter

RECOMMENDATIONS AND PRACTICAL ADVICE

For this activity you need comfortable footwear (preferably mountain or sport boots), pants, windbreak and other clothing adapted to the season and weather forecasts. Hat and sunscreen. Take water (at least 1,5L) and individual snack consisting, among others, of sandwiches, fruit or energy bars, nuts.

The planned program may undergo some changes if the weather conditions are too adverse.