Mountain Bike in Protected Area of Corno do Bico

This activity with beginning and end in the picnic park located in Vascões, leads to the trails of what is one of the best conserved Portuguese Protected Areas, the Protected Landscape of Corno do Bico, located in Paredes de Coura, at the border with Arcos de Valdevez. This region is essentially mountainous, with rounded contours, being the Corno do Bico, with 883m of height, the highest elevation of the northern region. At the top of these slopes, participants will find ‘a chaos of blocks‘, which are clusters of granite blocks, the dominant rock of the region, giving a chaotic aspect to the landscape. During the activity, participants will be able to enjoy the excellent trails decorated with landscapes of oaks, forests of chestnut trees and cork oaks. The presence of the Garrano horse in this area is quite strong, which gives it an additional unique beauty. Native to Minho and Trás–os-Montes in Portugal, this species has been used for many centuries as a transport and labor animal. It’s a protected race, due to the risk of extinction it was subjected to, until recently. Other highlights in this trail are the passages through the Alto de Cavalos and the Corno do Bico natural viewpoint, where an extraordinary landscape can be seen over the territory and the main surrounding mountains.