Vila Nova de Fôz Côa in 3D

Vila Nova de Foz Côa is a municipality in the Guarda district, in the Douro sub-region, with 14 parishes and 6,304 inhabitants (2021 Census, according to Wikipedia). It lies in the Douro Superior, where the Côa River, flowing from south to north, joins the Douro, which forms the northern edge of the municipality.

It is one of the few municipalities with two UNESCO-listed sites: the Prehistoric Rock-Art Sites of the Côa Valley, inscribed in 1998, and the Alto Douro Wine Region. The municipality also promotes itself as the "capital of almond trees", and received its first charter from King Dinis in 1299.

What to see and do

• Côa Valley Archaeological Park: more than 1,200 engraved rocks at around 80 sites, mostly from the Upper Palaeolithic, carved on vertical schist surfaces. The park spans four municipalities (Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Mêda and Pinhel). Guided visits in all-terrain vehicles include Canada do Inferno, Penascosa and Ribeira de Piscos, and the park recommends booking in advance because of a daily visitor limit per site.
• Côa Museum: opened on 30 July 2010 on a slope where the Côa meets the Douro, it is the natural introduction to the valley's art before visiting the sites.
• Passadiços do Côa: a walkway opened on 9 September 2022, around 930 metres long according to the municipal tourism portal.
• Numão and Castelo Melhor: villages with castles, listed among the municipality's heritage; the parish church in town is described as having a Manueline façade.
• Pocinho Dam: on the Douro, between Vila Nova de Foz Côa (left bank) and Torre de Moncorvo (right bank), inaugurated in 1982 and used for power generation and navigation, with a lock.

Wine, almonds and olive oil

Agriculture shapes the municipality: vines, almond groves, olive trees, fig and orange trees. Douro wines and olive oil are produced here. About 3 kilometres from Pocinho lies Quinta do Vale Meão, in the Douro Superior, whose story begins in 1877, when Antónia Adelaide Ferreira bought 300 hectares of land from the municipality; since 1994 it has belonged to Francisco Javier de Olazabal and his children. At the table, regional guides mention roast kid, game and river fish.

When to go and getting there

The almond blossom, between February and March depending on the year, is the municipality's signature sight and has its own festival, the Quinzena das Amendoeiras em Flor; please check the dates with the municipality. As for access, Wikipedia states that the Douro Line section as far as Pocinho is in operation; for road or rail distances and timetables, consult the municipality or the operator.

Where to stay

Our catalogue lists 17 places to stay in this municipality, 15 of them in the town of Vila Nova de Foz Côa itself. See the list of accommodation; the ratings shown come from Booking.com guests. To round off the trip, also explore the neighbouring municipalities of Freixo de Espada à Cinta and Carrazeda de Ansiães.