On the way to the coast, we discovered an Ecopista, which we hadn’t used yet, the Ecopista do Vouga. It mostly follows the river Vouga from Viseu to the west. We started our tour in São Pedro do Sul, which lies at the river and from here, the former railway had to climb the mountains in both directions. A perfect spot to start cycling as the way home is always downhill.
São Pedro do Sul offers a free camper area, which is located next to the former train station. We went into town, where we admired some old buildings and stopped at a pastelería for refreshments.
At the train station, there was an overview of the route. We decided to try both directions from here and afterwards move to Vale d’Água and start from there too.
We left the town by crossing the river Vouga and soon the ecopista turned to a path through eucalyptus forests. The scent of eucalyptus made the route feel like an aroma therapy.
The next day, we explored the other direction, where we got a little bit lost at the Spa town of São Pedro, where the ecopista wasn’t completely finished. But soon we had found our way and were cycling continuously uphill, until we had enough.
The next day, we drove to Carvoeiro where we found a parking at the ecopista (40.683025, -8.433024). Soon we had a newly painted track to follow, until we came to a part which was closed off for works. We followed the road instead until we could switch back to the bike track.
We reached the station of Paradela, where a bar was open for drinks and snacks. We admired the silo next to the station and continued our route.
On the way back, we ignored the closed off section, coming past a truck and some workers having their lunch. A little bit later we were standing in front of a freshly painted section of the ecopista. We carefully tested the red paint, but it was already dry and we could continue cycling.
We are now finished with cycling and will make our way to the coast. Atlantic Ocean – we are coming!