Press release ~ Caminho do Dão for regional residents.
On Saturday morning April 27th 2024, at the source of the Dão river at an 740m altitude, on the edge of the village of Barranha (Aguiar da Beira) a small group of hikers will start to descend down the Dão river. They will walk for 6 days, pass through 8 concelhos, sleep in local alojamentos, cross the river numerous times and end at 120m altitude in Santa Comba Dão where the Dão meets the Mondego at the barragem de Aguieira. The hiking experience is called the Caminho do Dão and can be done in one go or two 3 day tracks.
The Caminho do Dão was first explored in 2019 by two hikers Freya van Dien and Nadine van Schie who successfully hiked their way through the river valley on old rural paths. The trail remains unmarked and is now offered as a group walking tour. Since 2021 the Caminho do Dão is enjoyed by people from the region and beyond who have deepened their appreciation for the river, from its small beginnings to its wide end. They have seen the changes in the landscape and felt the different micro climates as the river descends the 600m in altitude. They shared with the locals along the way and tasted the food this region has to offer. For those who want to immerse themselves in the region named after the Dão river this multiple day experience on foot might well be the best way to do it.
The Caminho do Dão is offered at a reduced rate to people that live in the Dão region or have a strong connection to it. The goal of this offer is to make it as easy as possible for the regional population to join and experience the intimate communion with ‘their’ landscape and river which is the namesake of the region. Knowing is loving and, in the eyes of the founder of the trail Freya van Dien, the Dão river and region, as so many in the interior of Portugal, would benefit from more appreciation by locals and foreigners alike.
