GUIDED TOUR TO THE ROCK ART SITE OF CANADA DO INFERNO

Total walking distance: ± 800m

Schedule: Winter 1st visit 9h30 | 1st visit Summer 9h45

Meeting point : Côa River bridge 41 ° 04’37.2 “N 7 ° 06’22.6” W

General Information

The site of Canada do Inferno is on the left bank of the Côa. The visit begins at the Côa Museum, with a guide in an all-terrain vehicle, on an asphalt road, with a distance of about 6 kms, reaching near the abandoned works of the Low Côa dam. From here there are some further 3 kms in a road that is a dirt track through these same works that are part of the history of the discovery of the rock art of Côa. The final walking route is about 400 meters to the place of deployment of the first visited engravings, by a narrow but arranged path.

The site is located on the left bank of the final section of the Côa river, near an ancient beach, now covered by the waters of the Pocinho dam, which also cover most of the 46 engraved rocks that are recorded here, of which 39 have Paleolithic figurations. The chosen route for public viewing, conditioned to aspects of accessibility and intelligibility of the engravings, includes six rocks, all except one with Paleolithic engravings.

We higlight rock 1, by its historical symbolism, but also by the set of representations, that mostly superimpose each other. Pecking, often completed with abrasion, was the technique used to make the most remarkable motifs. Note the figure of a horse that has two heads, thus documenting the invention of graphic animation.

The tradition of engraving on this site continued during the Neolithic and ended only on the second half of the twentieth century, with the pecked engravings made by the last millers of the Côa river. Remarkable among them are Alcino Tomé and António Seixas, who worked in Canada do Inferno in the forties and fifties of the twentieth century, and whose engravings are mostly submerged. Rock 7, which lies just beneath rock 1, presents some modern engravings, easily visible. In fact, the path taken by visitors is the old millers way of Canada do Inferno, and during the visit it is possible to see several examples of traditional architecture in the region.

Recommendation

Due to the very high temperatures reached in the summer, it is strongly recommended the use of a hat and sunscreen, and also of comfortable clothing and footwear. Each visitor should carry enough water for himself.