Fraga do Puio Viewpoint

The Miradouro da Fraga do Puio lies in the village of Picote, in the municipality of Miranda do Douro, inside the Douro Internacional Natural Park. According to the Miranda do Douro municipality, from here you see the Douro "newly freed from the shackles of the dam", running "deeper and swifter" through one of the most majestic meanders of its Mirandese stretch.

The municipal page gives an altitude of 610 metres, and the regional press calls it one of the most emblematic points of the natural park.

The landscape and the platform

• The Rota Terra Fria describes a view over two deep sections of the Douro, with terraced olive groves on the steep slopes.
• Since the restoration, the viewpoint includes a glass platform suspended a few metres above the ground, bringing visitors closer to the river.

From fire to restoration

A forest fire in August 2017 destroyed the original viewpoint. The restoration, costing 50,000 euros, was led by Miranda do Douro Municipal Council, the ICNF and EDP, using wood, steel and glass so that visitors can go "practically into the cliffs". The Diário de Trás-os-Montes also mentions the reforestation of 20 hectares with native species and almond trees. A Mensageiro de Bragança article of 2 May 2019 speaks of a viewpoint reborn about two years after the fire.

Picote

According to Wikipedia, Picote is a parish of 230 inhabitants (2021 census) where Mirandese is spoken and place names are bilingual. The Picote dam, built in 1958, faces the Douro cliffs. To spend more time in the municipality, see the Castelo de Miranda do Douro.