Discover the secrets of the Cortes Valley through the Route of the Bridges!
Bridges, watermills, mills, levadas, wells and natural pools, join a unique river to provide you with a surprising route at every turn.
Traveling along footpaths and rural paths, this is an accessible route but can present some technical difficulties, particularly when the road is wet, as much of it takes place on paths with uneven ground.
It is an experience that is recommended to be slow, in order to enjoy all the wells and pools that you will find, even so, and near Bouça, it is possible to significantly shorten the route, adapting it to the time you have available.
Route Description
Starting at the children’s playground next to the parish headquarters, Cortes do Meio, this circular route descends to Ponte Velha and the first of a series of wells that will accompany the path – the Ponte Velha well – and, after crossing the river, is Poço da Monteira, where a leisure area is located. Following the course of the river, there is an old olive oil press and a new well, from which the climb up the valley begins to the detour to the old watermills and to one of the highlights of the route: Poço do Funil .
The section continues along a path, approaching the village of Bouça (where it is possible to shorten the route), to go back down to the river, crossing the Porto da Tábua Bridge. Once again, the route proposes a new climb up the valley, crossing Poço do Forno Velho, Ponte do Combarão, the wells of Formiga and Combarão and follows the path climbing along ancestral paths, Pontão Fundeiro and Poço da Praia to the point highest on the route. From there, the descent begins next to Ponte do Salto along the Bouça Velha forest path, along a path near Pontão Fundeiro, where a rural path leads to the town of Bouça. In the locality, there are fountains and services (toilets and cafes) and the path returns to the starting point with privileged views over the valley.
Source: Mountain Villages