Trilho da Barca d'Amieira

a walk alongside the river Tejo with stunning views, surrounded by wild flowers and birdsong - at least on the lovely spring day that we visited. At the heart of the walk is the rehabilitated Barca d'Amieira, a boat taking people and cars across the River Tejo, and joining the municipalities of Mação and Nisa at a spot where there was a long-lost tradition of crossing people, goods and animals and thus once-thriving communities on each riverbank.

The walk itself can start at either the Barca or the dam at the other end, and is a gentle 7km in total, running mostly along an old towpath beside the river, formerly used for horses to pull boats. There are also large sections of 'passadiço', wooden decking out over the river, similar to that between Belver and Praia Alamal - though here there are a number of added extras: a 'sky walk', where you can stand out over the river, surrounded by glass, with a great view of the dam; a 'baloiço instagramavel(!)', a pair of swings similar to the big one at Brejo which, along with a tree, have been painted lilac for some reason that we're probably too old to understand... but we had a go on them anyway!