Boelhe River Beach on the Tâmega

The Boelhe River Park lies on the right bank of the Tâmega river, in the parish of Boelhe, municipality of Penafiel. The Rota do Românico, which includes it among its suggested visits, presents it with the Tâmega as its backdrop, ideal for picnics and water sports.

It is also known as the Parque Fluvial das Famílias (Families' River Park) and stands in the Passinhos area. For the municipality as a whole, see Penafiel; for other bathing and leisure spots by the river, see the page Praias Fluviais de Penafiel.

The park

According to Time Out, the space was redeveloped by the Boelhe parish council, with works starting in 2020 and nearly finished in April 2021, and covers about 10,000 m². It has a swing, picnic tables, barbecues, a beach football pitch, showers, toilets and a support bar. The Rota do Românico also mentions a games field, a bar with terrace and a wide sandy area. The parish president, Artur Teixeira, told Time Out that the aim is to give families the conditions to enjoy the landscape, which he called "paradisiacal".

Passinhos and surroundings

According to the local blog "A nossa terra: Boelhe", Passinhos was a parish until 1853, when it was abolished and merged into Boelhe. The area has the Chapel of São Miguel de Passinhos, built in the 17th or early 18th century, and the Roman ruins of Bouça do Ouro, discovered in the 1980s.

About 1.6 km due north, going by the coordinates published by the Rota do Românico, stands the Church of São Gens de Boelhe, a National Monument since 1927 according to the municipality, dated to the mid to late 13th century and part of the Rota do Românico, which says visits are by appointment.

The river

The Tâmega is 145 km long and, according to Wikipedia, rises in the Serra de São Mamede in the province of Ourense and flows into the Douro near Entre-os-Rios and Torrão, in Marco de Canaveses.

Before you go

The sources we read give no information on any identified bathing-area status, the bathing season or water quality. Please check these, and whether the bar is open, with the Município de Penafiel or the Boelhe parish council.