Percurso da veiga (PR IV)

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Veigas or várzeas are fertile and flat lands in areas close to rivers. Part of the small route network of lagoons of Bertiandos and S. Pedro d'Arcos protected area beginning next to the Environmental Interpretation Center. The name “veiga” shows it runs into flats and fertile soils near rivers, where agriculture is the main activity. Here people practice a succession of maize crop in the spring / summer, and of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and other grasses, in the fall / winter, being possible to find small spots with vine in the borders or dispersed olive groves. Going along the trail, you will have the opportunity to pass through S. Pedro d'Arcos lagoon, responsible by the classification of this area as a wetland of international importance, and by the Lousa and Sobreiro “veigas”. In the latter, see the typical fauna from the observation shelter. Estorãos river, with the bridge and the watermill, and the rich river gallery are other interesting spots. In addition to its scenic beauty, they are vital habitats for several species of fauna, including fish such as trout and salmon, reptiles such as snakes and the Schreiber's Green Lizard, and mammals such as otters and bats. A final note for the Four Hands statue, symbol of the union of four parishes - Estorãos, Moreira do Lima, S. Pedro de Arcos and Sá - facing in the past serious economic problems.