Friday, September 27, 2024

Hiking from Piodao to Foz d'Egua

Friday, September 27, 2024

At around 09:30, we started our one-hour drive to Piodao from Unhais da Serra. The road was extraordinarily twisty and narrow, but it had beautiful views of the surrounding hills and mountains. Some of the hills were purple (perhaps Jacaranda).

Upon reaching Piodao, we parked our car and added extra layers of clothing, as it was a chill 50 F outside, overcast, and windy.

After a brief stop at Piodao's tourism office, we started our hike to Foz d'Egua using the iPhone's Alltrails app:

PR2 - AGN - Piodao -Foz d'Egua

The hike was a 4-mile round trip with 1,040 feet of elevation gain. As the local tourist office recommended, we started our hike in a reverse-clockwise direction (opposite to the way suggested by Alltrails).

The trail from Piodao to Foz d'Egua was clean and easy, with few steep ascents and descents. We noticed a few abandoned dwellings and took many photos. We reached Foz d'Egua in just over an hour, taking many pictures of the beautiful small house (they looked like houses for Hobbits in the Lord of the Rings).

We hoped to get a drink of coffee at the cafe there, but when we finally reached it, it was closed.

The way back to Piadao was more difficult, as there were some very steep ascents (and these are what make the trail moderate instead of easy).

After another 80 minutes, we reached Piodao and decided to rest at a nearby Solar restaurant, where we ordered the following items for lunch:

  • Drinks: Water, espresso, hot tea
  • Appetizer: Tapas Diversas (meats & cheeses)
  • Main: Chanfana (cooked goat meat with potatoes)
  • Dessert: Local pastry

Many cats were hoping to get a treat (and Inna gave one cat some small bits of cheese). One of the cats was a bit aggressive and almost jumped on our table. 

We liked the Chanfana, as it tasted homemade. The tapas were excellent, too.

Piodao Trip Report

Highlights

  • Hiking from Piadao to Foz d'Egua

Lowlights

  • Morning rain, fog, and wind on Wednesday
  • Navigating through very narrow, frequently one-way roads

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