Livraria do Paiva

The PR5 – “Livraria do Paiva” is a short hiking trail located in Janarde, in the municipality of Arouca.

The purpose of this trail is to visit the geosites of the Arouca Geopark located in the surrounding area, namely the Conheiros and Meandros do Paiva, the Livraria do Paiva, and the Mourinha Ichnofossils.

The walk begins at the small parking lot where there is an informational panel with details of the route. Following the directional signs and the PR markings (yellow and red), you reach the hill that can be seen behind the church. Once you reach the highest point, where there is a small wayside cross, you can admire the “Meanders of the Paiva” and the piles of rounded pebbles that make up the “Conheiros.”

Return to the village and then head toward Mourinha along an ancient path, carved into the rock and mostly paved with flagstones.

Cross the Mourinha stream, continuing along the narrow path, from where you reach a breathtaking panoramic view of the enclosed valley through which it flows, forming an authentic eco-fluvial corridor along whose banks riparian vegetation thrives, consisting of willows, alder, water primrose, and laurel, among others, and in the shade of which the royal fern grows luxuriantly. The treetops shelter a vast avifauna, notably the nightingale, the chiffchaff, the titmice, and the blackbirds. On the banks, we see the nests  and, in the riverbed, ever elusive, the water blackbird. Above us, circling, the bald eagle.

One hundred meters before the first house, now in ruins, an impressive escarpment can be seen on the other side, consisting of vertical slabs resembling the spines of books on a bookshelf. It is the Paiva Bookstore, an important geological monument! Right there, at the visitor’s feet, on a wall that is nothing more than a verticalized seabed, one can see a vast array of fossilized marks of what were the tracks of marine animals from 450 million years ago! The site is accessed via a small, narrow path. Given the terrain’s steep slope, extreme caution is required, especially with children. An ideal spot to rest and enjoy a snack, the return trip follows the same path. When you reach Janarde, you will have walked about 3,000 meters. 

Special precautions:

• During the rainy season, the Mourinha stream is expected to have a significant flow. Since there is no bridge for crossing, certain precautions must be taken.
  

• Because part of the path is carved into the rock or paved with slabs, the sloped areas can become slippery when wet.
  

• The approach to the rock face where the ichnofossils are found is via a small, unprotected trail on a steep slope. Provided you follow safety guidelines and use common sense, it is easy and poses no danger. 
  

Nevertheless, you can never be too careful, especially with children or when taking photos.