In the North of Portugal, about an hour's drive from the city of Porto is the 516 Arouca bridge. This bridge is 516 meters long (about 1693 feet long) and is the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge. It opened very recently (May 2021). Even though the oficial website is modern and informative, we had a hard time finding specific detailed information online. Some of the basics like, distance from parking lot to the bridge, connection from the bridge with passadiço de Paiva, which side of the bridge to book your tickets, how to return to the parking lot, etc was not easily found. After some digging, we connected with someone from Porto that recently had gone to the bridge and she was able to give more details.

Even with some uncertainty, the experience and the bridge itself is certainly worth a visit!!! It was unique, the views are incredible, and the surrounding area is lovely!

Below you can find some useful information that we gathered!

• You need to plan in advance!!! You have to make a reservation by booking a time slot on the official website, which can be found HERE. At the moment, you can not buy tickets at the bridge (it has to be done online!). This system was implemented due to covid and might change in the future. We recommend booking 2 to 3 weeks out in advance and getting the earlier time slot (weekends are booked a month out and this was not during the busy season!). As of October 2021, for children 6 to 9 the fee is 10 euros (as are students and seniors), and for adults, 12 euros. However if you have more the 4 family members, the most cost effective option is the family pack which are cheaper per person (45 euros for a family of 5).

• The bridge is in a remote location, so you will either rent a car for the day (what we did) our contact a local tour company.

• Unfortunately, children under 6 aren’t allowed.

• The bridge is always open, except on Christmas Day, and if the weather is bad (if so, you can either have a full refund or book later).

• You need to arrive at the time of your booking. You will cross the bridge with a group (of about 20 people) that made reservations for the same time slot. (You also get an informative briefing before crossing the bridge) You also need to choose what side you want to start. You can start at the Areinho or the Alvarenga side. Once you have crossed, you can go back over it to the side you started - all in all, maybe 30 minutes of crossing (both ways).

• Following the bridge experience we continued on the Passadico do Paiva (8km hike). To combine the hike and the bridge, you can start on either side. We started on the Areinho side and crossed the bridge back and forth, but you can start on the Alvarenga side and cross the bridge once. The Passadico do Paiva is on the Areinho side.

• To access the bridge, there are a few parking spots that lead to a strenuous set of stairs up to the bridge (this is the Areinho side and the side we took). The parking spot where we parked was the Passadico de Paiva trailhead (the link to the google maps location is HERE). The other side of the bridge (The Alvarenga side) is closer to a city, so the parking is much closer. If you have an earlier time slot, you have a better chance of getting parking, as it fills up quickly. When we returned form our hike, the parking lot (which holds around 50 vehicles) was completely full.

• Combining the hike to the bridge, crossing the bridge (both ways) and the Passadico da Paiva (one way) you will end up with 10km!

• This is NOT recommended for people with a fear of heights or not costumed to longer and harder hikes.

Hiking Passadico de Paiva

After the bridge, there is a nice boardwalk hike that stretches on for 5 miles (there are also shorter distances where you can stop). The boardwalk is all downhill from the bridge, and after the first part, not too many stairs. It is very pleasant and follows the river. The path is wide, and we didn’t encounter too many people. The hike, which opened in 2019, is included in the tickets to the bridge. At the end of the hike, you can take a unique jeep-like taxi back to the parking lot, about 10 mins away (we paid 18 Euros).

Throughout the hike, and even at the parking lot, there are several river access points that can be used to refresh or splash in the water. We went on a chill fall day, hence we didn’t, but on a hot summer day, this is definitely a great option to spend some extra time in the area. There is a cafe at the parking lot for snacks and beverages!

The bridge is a must-do if you’re going to Porto! It is a very interesting experience, and different from the normal rumble and tumble of the city. It provides a good break and definitely gets your heart racing!