The Pavia Walkways are an 8-km-long route of wooden walkways and staircases that cling to the mountain side along Paiva river in Arouca municipality, Aveiro, Portugal. Features of the walkways include a winding staircase that leads to the top of a huge hill, providing a panoramic view of the terrain, and an extremely narrow wooden bridge that spans across the river surrounded by soaring cliffs and abundant natural vegetation. The route starts from the river beach Areinho and terminates at another beach Espiunca. A third river beach, the Vau, is located midway. As the walkway continues along the topography, hikers are bestowed with sweeping views of waterfalls, quartz crystal deposits, exotic fauna and flora, and the river below.

The ‘Paiva Walkways‘ was opened in July 2015, but a devastating wildfire in September damaged more than 600 meters of wooden walkways. After some months of restoration, the walkways reopened to the public.

Photo credit: Nelson Garrido