Vila Nova de Foz Côa

The town of the Côa valley, gateway to the rock art and the almond blossom of the north-east.

Vila Nova de Foz Côa, at the mouth of the river Côa, is the town of the rock art: the gateway to the valley of the engravings and one of the most singular landscapes of the north-east of Portugal. Between the Douro, the almond trees of the surrounding hills and the modern museum on the riverside, the town gathers the story of the Palaeolithic art that made the Côa famous across the world.

The town

The town grew on the south bank of the Douro, at the end of the Côa valley, in the country of the old terraces of wine and almond. Its historic centre, of stone streets around the church and the old houses, keeps the scale of the towns of the interior, and the riverside — with the Museum of Côa — became the great stage of the rock art, welcoming the visitors who arrive for the guided tours of the engraved rocks. In February, the almond trees in flower cover the hills with white — one of the great spectacles of the region.

What to see

The riverside and the Museum of Côa, gateway to the rock art.
The historic centre of the town, with its stone streets.
The Douro valley and its terraces around the town.
The almond trees in bloom, in the late winter.

Visiting

Vila Nova de Foz Côa lies in the district of Guarda, within reach of the Douro and its wine country; the town is explored on foot, and the rock art visited through the programmes of the foundation that manages the valley. The conditions, times and bookings for the tours are published by the official sources of the park and the museum.