Duration:<\/strong>\u00a013 days (11 walking + 2 for arrival in and departure from the region, option of departing directly on the day of arrival in Foz, and not sleeping there that night, making the trip 12 days in total)<\/p>\n Total distance:<\/strong> 223.6 km Description:<\/strong><\/p>\n Discover a valley of heritage<\/em><\/p>\n Meandering between fertile plains and rocky escarpments, the C\u00f4a makes its way down to the Douro, narrating the stories of the communities that lived here for millennia, who made good use of a valley rich in biodiversity and natural resources. From the source of the C\u00f4a in F\u00f3ios, in the municipality of Sabugal, to its mouth at Vila Nova de Foz C\u00f4a, there is a valley rich in archaeological, historical, cultural and natural heritage to be discovered.<\/p>\n A journey back in time<\/em><\/p>\n Over its final seventeen kilometres, the schist rocks flanking the river bed of the C\u00f4a were converted into panels of art, with thousands of rock carvings recognised as World Heritage by UNESCO. Remains of the nomadic groups who lived in the valley more than 25,000 years ago can be visited in the Archaeological Park and the C\u00f4a Museum. This area has also preserved its rich built heritage, represented by the roads, bridges, castles and remote villages, and in the museums in each of the municipalities.<\/p>\n Experience the communities<\/em><\/p>\n The present-day network of villages and towns has its origin in the late Middle Ages, a time when the peninsular kingdoms began to form. Since then, until the present day, different ways of building have come into being in the area, different ways of moulding the landscape, and of naming it, of herding flocks and cultivating the fields. But also different ways of socialising, and of preparing food, giving it the full, vigorous flavours of the land of the Ribacoa. And the trail also invites you to discover all these things.<\/p>\n Venture out into nature<\/em><\/p>\n Humans have moulded the landscape over the generations, cultivating Mediterranean plants such as vines, olive trees and almond trees, and using scrubland and forests for herding sheep and goats. These human activities helped to preserve a great wealth of biodiversity, a veritable treasure of nature, protected and disseminated by the protected areas of the Serra da Malcata Nature Reserve and the Faia Brava Reserve.<\/p>\n
\nTrail:<\/strong> difficult to very difficult
\nMax.\/min. altitude:<\/strong> 1164\/129 m<\/p>\n![\"coa-grafica\"](\"http:\/\/eco123.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/coa-grafica.png\")
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