How to go to Poço Azul in Geres – Complete guide

Last Updated on 2025-07-01 by Claudia Bastos

The trail to Poço Azul in Gerês is a one-way trail that follows the same path back. In total, it’s about 9km (4.5 to go and 4.5 to return), taking us from Cascata do Arado to Poço Azul. Despite being quite popular, it is not an official trail and lacks markings, as well as indications.

Therefore, it is essential to be well prepared, follow our instructions, and carry the map on your cell phone to make your life easier. The route is not physically or technically challenging, but the absence of markings can cause some confusion, although there are not many difficult points.

We will explain everything you need to know, step by step, to visit Poço Azul in Gerês National Park. Even without being an official trail, this is undoubtedly one of the best trails in Gerês, taking us to one of the most impressive wells or lakes in the Area. The highlight and purpose of this trail is obviously the fabulous Poço Azul, but along the way, we will pass through some emblematic landscapes of Gerês. And, of course, in the beginning, we have the spectacular Cascata do Arado, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Gerês, and the Rocas Viewpoint, one of the best viewpoints in the National Park.

Trail from Cascata do Arado to Poço Azul – general information

Poço Azul trail – quick information

About the Poço Azul Trail

To go to Poço Azul, we have to hike this trail, but we can start at three different points, as it is possible to do the initial phase by car on the dirt road. Below we explain in detail the three points where to park, at the viewpoint of Rocas, next to the bridge, and Cascata do Arado, in the car park after the waterfall.

Starting at Miradouro das Rocas, turn onto the road towards Cascata do Arado. It is about 1 km until you reach the bridge over the Arado River. After the bridge, on the left, stairs lead to a viewpoint overlooking the waterfall. If you’re unfamiliar with the waterfall, it’s a detour worth taking.

After the bridge, you can continue straight ahead for about 500 meters until you find a prohibited traffic sign (except for Ermida residents) and a parking lot. This is where our trail really begins. Up to this moment, we can do this part on foot or by car, and the choice is yours.

The trail to Poço Azul starts where you can no longer take the car, but follows the same road for almost 2.5 km. Thus, the first part of the trail is still on a dirt road. The first km is quite hard, consistently uphill and with few shadows, while the second km is basically going downhill, and the final part is flatter.

Throughout this route, we must follow the dirt road, passing by the Malhadoura fountain, Curral dos Portos, and the Tribela, until we reach a crossroads next to Casa do Doutor. The intersection is easy to identify, as it features a stone with “Tribela” written on it, the walls of Casa do Doutor, and signs for the PR50 multi-day trail.

At this intersection, we have to turn left, and quickly the dirt road becomes a path for walkers and shepherds. This path is initially flat but then quickly descends to the Conho River, which we have to cross on a wooden bridge and then climb back up the valley. The ascent is short but steep.

At the end of the climb, we reach a new road, where we turn left and continue for a few meters (100 to 200 meters) before turning left onto a narrow path that runs parallel to the Concho River. This is the trickiest part in orientation, but don’t worry, as it’s pretty visible.

Note: If you get to Curral do Pinhó, you’ve walked too far. You have to return for about 50 to 100 meters.

After turning onto the narrower path, we will go straight ahead for a long time. This is the most challenging part of the route, as it involves not only a long ascent but also numerous rocks that require attention and physical effort. But don’t worry, it’s not particularly difficult or technical – it’s just a mountain path.

This stage of the route is approximately 1.5 km long. It mainly rises, but descends slightly at the end before reaching the bank of the Conho River. You will have to cross the river through the rocks, as no bridge exists. Then you continue the path on the other side. The trail goes up again, but after about 5 minutes, you reach our destination, the wonderful Poço Azul.

If you’re lucky, or it’s low season, there won’t be many people, and you can make the most of this stunning Gerês lagoon. Stay as long as you want; the return is exactly the same, so you already know exactly what to expect.

In our experience, the trail from Cascata do Arado to Poço Azul takes approximately 3 hours (round trip), and the return journey takes a little longer than the outward route.

Best time of year to go to Poço Azul

The best time to go to Poço Azul is clearly the summer, when you can dive into its crystal clear waters. However, we suggest that if possible, avoid going in August, or at least the weekends.

Although Poço Azul is a remote location and situated high in the mountains, it is also one of the best-known lakes in the Peneda-Gerês National Park and a popular destination among hikers in the summer. So, during high season, it is very difficult, or almost impossible, to have the place to yourself.

To make the most of Poço Azul during high season, we suggest arriving early to reach it before other hikers. We recommend you arrive before 10 am, which means starting the hike at 8 am / 8:30 am.

If you plan to visit it at any other time, you should not see many people, just a few hikers. Please be aware that although the trail is not particularly dangerous or technical, it does have rocky sections that can become slippery when wet due to rain and humidity.

Is the trail family-friendly?

This is an easy-to-moderate difficulty trail with no technical zones, so anyone with a walking or exercise habit can complete the route without problems.

The trail is quite undulating, with several ascents and descents, but they are not long. Thus, you can do it with greater or lesser difficulty, with a few stops to take pictures and catch your breath. Even children and older adults will be able to trek the trail if they are accustomed to regular walking.

The most significant difficulty of the trail is the lack of markings, as we have already mentioned, because this is not an officially designated trail. However, if you download the GPS file to your phone and follow our instructions, you should encounter no problems.

What to take?

This is a mountain trail; you won’t find any cafes or bars along the way, not even at the beginning. Therefore, we advise you to take:

• Lots of water (about 1l per person, more if you want to stay there for the day)
• Snacks – note that there aren’t places to eat along the trail.
• Comfortable hiking or running shoes;
• comfortable clothes;
• rain jacket if it’s winter;
• sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen if it’s sunny;
• camera and smartphone, there are plenty of photo opportunities here;
• A daypack to take everything with you.

As always, please do not make any trash. Bring back everything you take with you.

How to go to the trail?

The trail begins after Arado Waterfall, making it relatively easy to get there. As mentioned above, there are three places to begin your walk and park your car. So you can park:

• Next to the Miradouro das Rocas – further away from the beginning of the trail, but it does not require driving on the road;
• Next to the Cascata do Arado – halfway, it means driving around 1 km on the road. Despite having some holes, any car can make the route, as long as you are careful.
• In the car park – last chance to park. From here, it is forbidden to take the car, although the trail begins on a dirt road. If you leave your car here, you save about 2.5 km of walking in total.

All these places are close to each other, and the access to the trail is the same. We start a little further up the trail.

If you have the energy and/or don’t want to put your car on the road, you can start at Miradouro das Rocas. Leave your car in the car park if you want to walk less and/or don’t mind doing a few km on dirt. On busy days, it can be difficult to find a spot in the car park, but you should be able to find a place to park along the road.

The Rocas Viewpoint is approximately 100 km from Porto, which takes 1 hour and 45 minutes. To get there, we must first go to Vilar da Veiga, then turn towards Ermida, and in Ermida, turn towards Pedra Bela.

Alternatively, we can go straight from Vilar da Veiga to Vila do Gerês, and at the exit of Vila do Gerês, turn towards Pedra Bela. When we get to Pedra Bela, head towards Ermida. Before reaching the Ermida, we have the Rocas viewpoint.

Once you are at Rocas viewpoint, you can park your car or turn onto the road that leads to the Arado waterfall. When you arrive at Arado, you can park or continue crossing the bridge and proceed a few hundred meters to the final car park.

Where to stay?

The Peneda-Gerês National Park offers a variety of accommodation options, many of which are relatively close to the trailhead. If you want to know where to stay in Gerês, we suggest you check this article, where we talk about the best areas of the park and our favorite hotels in each of them.

If you plan to hike this trail during the height of summer, it is essential to spend the night nearby, allowing you to start the trail early and avoid crowds. Therefore, we suggest you stay in the village of Gerês as it is the place with the largest accommodation offer. In the village of Gerês, we usually recommend:

• Hotel Lagoa Azul do Gerês – an excellent hotel at attractive prices. Great for families and couples. An Advantage of these rooms is that they have a kitchenette. See more information and prices here.
• Adelaide Hotel – Right in the center of Gerês, and therefore a good option for those who have never been to Gerês. Comfortable rooms equipped with TV, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi. It has an outdoor pool and is good value for money. See prices here.

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