PR8 PTL - Rota da Azenha

The Watermill Route is a circular trail in the area influenced by the Protected Area of the Bertiandos and S. Pedro d’Arcos Lagoons, in the municipality of Ponte de Lima. The route starts at Quinta de Pentieiros and crosses a landscape marked by agricultural areas, riverside spaces, rural heritage and elements linked to the traditional use of water.

Quinta de Pentieiros is one of the main reference points of the trail. This municipal space brings together facilities linked to recreation, accommodation, environmental education and the demonstration of agricultural, livestock and forestry practices, within the wider appreciation of the Protected Area.

Around Estorãos, the trail allows visitors to discover several heritage elements associated with local history. The Church of Estorãos, with additions made over the centuries, has an important archaeological connection through the Roman altar dedicated to the Genius Tiauranceaico, whose original piece is kept at the National Museum of Archaeology.

Next to the Estorãos River, the arched bridge stands out, probably built between the 16th and 17th centuries, with three unequal arches and cutwaters that recall older construction solutions. In the same area, there is a wayside cross, roadside shrines and the Estorãos watermill, an example of the use of water power for milling.

The route also passes by the Chapel of Santo Amaro, the Four Hands statue, the Sobreiro agricultural plain and the former Estorãos Cooperative buildings, associated with the agricultural land consolidation project of the 1960s. Overall, the Watermill Route combines rural heritage, riverside scenery, agricultural memory and the natural setting of the Protected Area.