Field trips

Organizers: Vera Alfama, Sónia Victória, José Maria Semedo, Sílvia Monteiro, Romualdo Correia
Duration: 6-9 September 2022 (4 days)
Participants: 40 (minimum of participants: 20)
Price: €600.00 per person (double room) or €650.00 per person (single room). For single room bookings, please book the double room and contact the organizers by email.

Travel to Cape Verde: Participants must ensure travel to Santiago Island, Cape Verde, as well as the connection from Cape Verde to Portugal. The field trip includes only transportation on Santiago Island and Fogo Island and between islands, accommodation, meals, and documentation to support the visit. If necessary, you may contact Agência Abreu, the company responsible for the logistics of the field trips, to request prices for air travel.

Itinerary

Day 1: Santiago Island
Plateau of Praia; Monte das Vacas; Ribeira de São Domingos; Ribeira Seca (Poilão Dam) - Orgãos; Mountainous massif of Pico de Antonia; Santa Catarina Plateau; Mountainous massif of Serra Malagueta; Tarrafal - Baía Verde (Lunch break); Tarrafal- Monte Graciosa; Biscainhos (S. Miguel)

Day 2: Departure for the island of Fogo
Praia de S. Filipe; Ponta de Salina; Monte Sambango (Mosteiros); Corvo's lava; Valley of Ribeira de Caiada; Alto Espigão viewpoint; entrance to Fogo's Natural Park

Day 3: Fogo Island
Trail in the area of Chã das Caldeiras (within the boundaries of the Natural Park) – Participants can choose one of the following options:

Option 1: Visit at Chã das Caldeiras

1. Entrance to the Natural Park of Fogo (PNF)
2. Crater of explosion, Curral de Asno
3. Lava flows from the 2014 eruption, Lantisco
4. Slag cone from the 2014 eruption
5. Bordeira
6. Lava field
7. Main façade of the old winery, Boca Fonte
8. Contact between the lava flows of 1995 and those of 2014, Cabo Nhô Ernesto
9. Villages of Chã das Caldeiras
10. Monte Preto volcanic cave
11. Hornitos, north of the volcano, Monte Preto
12. Monte Velha Forest Perimeter

Option 2: Climb to Pico do Fogo (those who want to go will have to get up at 4am to make the climb and can be back before 12am) – need to contract a local guide Pico do Fogo Volcano: For those more inclined to physical activity, you can make a climb to the volcano, duly accompanied by one of the local guides, from where you can observe a unique and unforgettable landscape.

Option 3: Climb to the Peak of the 2014 eruption (those who want to go will have to get up at 7am to make the climb and can be back before 11am) need to contract a local guide Slag cone from the 2014 eruption

Day 4: Return to Santiago Island

The value of the field trip includes transportation during the four days of the visit, five nights of accommodation and breakfast (5 to 10 September), four lunches and three dinners, and documentation to support the visit.

Organizers: Rui Tiago F. Marques, Paulo A.P. Amaral
Duration: 7-9 September 2022 (3 days)
Participants: 30 (minimum of participants: 20)
Price: €750.00 per person (double room)

Travel to the Azores: participants must ensure travel to the island of S. Miguel, Azores, as well as the connection from the Azores to mainland Portugal. The value of the field trip includes only transportation on S. Miguel Island, accommodation, meals, and documentation to support the visit. If necessary, you may contact Agência Abreu, the company responsible for the logistics of the field trips, to request prices for air travel.

Itinerary: During the three days participants will be able to visit several geomorphological and geological features that characterize the volcanic landscape of S. Miguel Island, namely the Lagoa das Sete Cidades, Furnas and many other features.

The value of the field trip includes transportation during the three days of the visit, two nights of accommodation and breakfast, three lunches and two dinners, and documentation to support the visit.

Organizers: António Vieira, António Bento Gonçalves
Duration: 8-10 September 2022 (3 days)
Participants: 25
Price: €380.00 per person (double room) or €455.00 per person (single room). For single room bookings, please book the double room and contact the organizers by email.

Itinerary

Day 1: Coimbra (departure at 7.00 am), Braga, Monte de S. Mamede, Pedra Bela, Quedas do Arado, Fecha das Barjas, Fafião, Vila do Gerês;

Day 2: Vila do Gerês, Trail of Minas dos Carris, Vila do Gerês;

Day 3: Vila do Gerês, Sra. da Peneda, Lamas de Mouro, Alto vale do Vez (Sra. da Guia), Coimbra.

The hike on day 2 is physically demanding, so it is recommended only for people who are physically fit for it. The use of appropriate footwear and clothing is recommended.

The value of the field trip includes transportation during the three days of the visit, two nights of accommodation and breakfast, three lunches and two dinners, and documentation to support the visit.

Organizers: Gonçalo Vieira, Emanuel de Castro, Hugo Gomes
Participants: 45
price: €60.00 per person

Itinerary: Coimbra; Senhora do Espinheiro - Sabugueiro/Covão do Urso - Lagoa Comprida - Salgadeiras - Alto da Torre, Covão do Boi, Piornos, Covão da Ametade and Penhas Douradas; Coimbra

Summary:The Serra da Estrela is part of the Iberian Central System and is the highest mountain range in mainland Portugal, rising to 1993 m asl at the Alto da Torre. It is a block mountain uplifted during the Alpine compression that has cut the planation surfaces of central Portugal, displacing them vertically. The mountain is built in granites, shales, schists, and greywackes and shows a remarkable geological history bringing together long-term landscape evolution, Pleistocene glacial heritage, and present-day geomorphic processes. The geomorphological landscape, high biodiversity values and the long and rich history of human occupation are the core of the Estrela UNESCO Global Geopark. The 1-day field trip will consist of a visit to the main glacial geosites of the Estrela Geopark and will provide a good overview of the plateaus and higher part of the mountain. The highlights will be the glacial erosion landscapes of the western plateau, glacial valleys, moraines, tors, and periglacial slope deposits. The field trip will be by bus with short and easy walks.

The value of the field trip includes transportation, field lunch and documentation to support the visit.

Organizers: Artur Sá, António Rochette, António Vieira, Daniela Rocha
Participants: 45
Price: €60.00 per person

Itinerary: Coimbra - Viseu - Castro Daire - Portas de Montemuro - Alto de Montemuro - Noninha - Alvarenga - Passadiços do Paiva - Arouca - Serra da Freita (Miradouro do Detrelo da Malhada - S. Pedro Velho Geodesic Landmark - Frecha da Mizarela) - Chão de Ave - Vale de Cambra - Oliveira de Azeméis - Coimbra

Summary: The Arouca UNESCO Global Geopark, internationally recognized since 2009, is a territory marked by mountainous reliefs sculpted by a well-fitted drainage network. Among the 41 inventoried, protected and promoted geosites, there are several geomorphosites that include viewpoints, fluvial landforms, granitic landforms, residual landforms, and asymmetric slopes. During the proposed field trip, some of the most emblematic geomorphosites of this territory will be visited, explaining their geotouristic use in the service of a sustainable territorial development strategy. The visit will end at the Paiva boardwalk, named seven times by the World Travel Awards as the best sustainable tourism infrastructure, and at the Arouca 516, the longest suspension bridge in the world, from where it is possible to observe some of the territory's geomorphosites.

The value of the field trip includes transportation, field lunch and documentation to support the visit.

Organizers: António Campar de Almeida, Pedro Dinis
Participants: 50
Price: €60.00 per person

Itinerary: Coimbra – Dolina dos Cedros, Boa Viagem Mountains – Bandeira’s House – Mushroom House – Quiaios Dunes – Braças Lagoons – Vagueira – Aveiro Bar – Pateira de Fermentelos – Anadia – Buçaco – Chã da Mata – Coimbra

Summary: Dolina dos Cedros, Serra Boa Viagem: one of a 150 dolines developed during Quaternary uplift of S. Boa Viagem and associated with more calcareous layers or faults. Miradouro da Bandeira: view of two important scarps and the dune fields. Casa dos Cogumelos: an interglacial platform formed with coastal sediments which are overlain with Wurmian slope deposits. Dunes of Quiaios: three dune generations – the earliest, very reduced, is Pleistocene to early Holocene old and has Podzol soils, the second, with parabolic dunes and occupying a triangle north of Quiaios, is uncertain in age, and the latest is associated with the LIA period and has long linear dunes. Braças/Vela lakes: interdunal lakes developed with inland sand drifting. Vagueira: the foredune has almost totally disappeared, and a dyke protects the houses from sea storms. Barra de Aveiro: artificially opened in 1808 after the total spit closing, but with difficult maintenance. Building of the jetties in 1958 and retreating of the southern shoreline. Pateira de Fermentelos: a small lake in a subsiding area at the downstream sector of the structurally controlled Cértima River valley. Anadia Clay Pits: diverse mud-dominated alluvial–lacustrine units deposited in Pliocene–Pleistocene analogues of the Pateira de Fermentelos. Buçaco: a ridge associated with the north-eastern flank of a syncline with Ordovician quartzites (Buçaco syncline). Weathering-related silicifications are observed in the Cretaceous cover. Chã da Mata: fault-bounded fragment of the south-eastern flank of the Buçaco syncline; western side, influenced by the Porto-Tomar Fault zone, with Pliocene deposits formed at the inner edge of the Iberian Atlantic Margin.

The value of the field trip includes transportation, field lunch and documentation to support the visit.

Organizers: Department of Geography and Tourism – FLUC
Participants: 40
Price (each tour): €60.00 per person

Itinerary: Coimbra (several).

Summary: Coimbra represents the transition between very different geographical, geological, and geomorphological territories. From the North to the South, from East to West of the Portuguese continental area, Coimbra is a land of transition, where the climate, relief, vegetation, land use, and human occupation acquire very singular characteristics and present a wide diversity. The privileged natural location favoured by the presence of the main Portuguese national river is one of the primary explanations for the historical evolution of the city. Thereby, Coimbra can be considered an example of a perfectly balanced combination of nature, history, and heritage, which give it a singular character and wealth. The sharp physical contrasts, the Mondego River dynamics, the several detailed geomorphological features as its history, culture, and heritage design singular reasons to make short field trips in Coimbra. Therefore, the proposal is to carry out the following visits:

Tour 1 "Viewpoint’s tour": The viewpoints are the perfect location to observe the physical contrast of Coimbra's territory from diverse perspectives and understand the reasons that underlie such great geomorphological and geographical diversity. It is possible to observe from there the opposition between the elevated, sloping, and forest eastern areas formed by Palaeozoic metasedimentary rocks and the low, smooth plane, and farming western areas settled by Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary units.

Tour 2 "Mondego river hydrodynamics": During a pleasant walking tour at the downtown streets and the opposite riverside neighborhood, it is possible to recognize the remains of the flood’s episodes, which have characterized the hydrological history of Mondego River during centuries. Relevant historical and heritage issues related to the hydrogeomorphology of Mondego will also deserve our attention.

Tour 3 "Mondego valley geomorphological evolution": The quaternary evolution of the Mondego River valley can be witnessed by terraces and deposits on both sides of the present river valley. The river tracing evolution in the Coimbra city with its cut-off structure will be presented and discussed in terms of regional geomorphological significance.

Tour 4 "Coimbra UNESCO’s World Heritage": At the top of a hill, the upper part of the city, the University's main historic buildings represent the knowledge, the culture, and the authentic atmosphere of the city. The topographic position and the geographic location have attributed to this place a central historical significance as the first capital of the kingdom. Nonetheless, at present days, natural geostrategic characteristics and historical relevance are fused in the magnificent heritage treasures which visit is mandatory.

Organizers: Luciano Lourenço, Bruno Martins
Participants: 50
Price: €60.00 per person

Itinerary: Coimbra - Lousã - Senhora da Candosa - Góis - Arganil - Folques - Coja - Piódão - Barreosa - Vide - Alvoco - Vendas de Galizes - Aguieira - Penacova - Coimbra

Summary: The trip will take place in the Mondego River hydrographic basin and, mainly, in its two main tributaries on the left bank, the rivers Alva and Ceira. Starting with the Mondego River and going up through the Ceira River, in Portela, the Old Iberian Massif is located over Meso-Cenozoic units. The river flows into the well-known tectonic basin Lousã-Góis-Arganil (Suzanne Daveau, 1986), where archaic deposits, contemporary to the Eocene flattening, and fanglomerate deposits can be observed. We see the inclined platform where the Mondego River flows and, as the altitude is rising, we will be able to see the Caramulo mountain. After observing some headwaters of the Pomares stream’s geomorphological features, we will descend to the historic village of Piódão, with its picturesque houses built in schist and covered with slate slabs. Back in Coimbra we will cross the quartzite ridge that extends from Buçaco to Penedos de Góis. In that place, the quartzite formation is called Livraria do Mondego. The journey will finish at the Penacova viewpoint, where we will observe the quartzites and several river adaptations before continuing our way to Portela, at the entrance of Coimbra, in its confluence with the Ceira River, where our morning journey began.

The value of the field trip includes transportation, field lunch and documentation to support the visit.

Organizers: Alberto Gomes, Augusto Pérez Alberti
Duration: 17-19 September 2022 (3 days)
Participants: 50
Price: €360.00 per person (double room) or €415.00 per person (single room). For single room bookings, please book the double room and contact the organizers by email.

Itinerary: Coimbra - Vila Nova de Gaia (Lavadores Beach) - Sampaio -Esposende - Valença (overnight); Ribeira - Corrubedo - Laxe Brava - Vigo (overnight); Oia - Bayona - Vila Nova de Cerveira - Coimbra

Summary: During this field trip, we will be in Portugal and Spain (Galicia) seeing and discussing issues related to coastal dynamics, marine terrace staircases, differential uplift of coastal blocks, coastal geoheritage, coastal geoarchaeology, coastal erosion and coastal land planning.

The value of the field trip includes transportation during the three days of the visit, two nights of accommodation and breakfast, three lunches and two dinners, and documentation to support the visit.

Organizers: Gonçalo Vieira, Emanuel de Castro, Fábio Loureiro
Duration: 17-19 September 2022 (3 days)
Participants: 45
Price: €350.00 per person (double room) or €425.00 per person (single room). For single room bookings, please book the double room and contact the organizers by email.

Itinerary

Day 1: Coimbra - Folgosinho - Penedo do Sino - Videmonte (Meandros do Mondego) - Quinta da Taberna - Mocho Real - Manteigas (overnight in Manteigas);

Day 2: Manteigas - Hike from Penhas Douradas to Lagoa Comprida - Salgadeiras - Sabugueiro - Manteigas (overnight in Manteigas);

Day 3: Manteigas - Zêzere valley - Lagoa Seca - Piornos - Alto da Pedrice - Poio do Judeu - Alto da Torre (visit to the Interpretation Centre of the Estrela Geopark) - Coimbra

Summary: The Serra da Estrela is part of the Iberian Central System and is the highest mountain range in mainland Portugal, rising to 1993 m asl at the Alto da Torre. It is a block mountain uplifted during the Alpine compression that has cut the planation surfaces of central Portugal, displacing them vertically. The mountain is built in granites, shales, schists, and greywackes and shows a remarkable geological history bringing together long-term landscape evolution, Pleistocene glacial heritage, and present-day geomorphic processes. The geomorphological landscape, high biodiversity values and the long and rich history of human occupation are the core of the Estrela UNESCO Global Geopark. The 3-day field trip will allow for a very good overview of the main highlights of the 2100 km2 Estrela Geopark. It will include visits to the main geosites, encompassing glacial, periglacial, granite weathering, fluvial, hydrogeological, petrological, and tectonic themes, as well as a discussion of several issues related to the objectives and management of a UNESCO Global Geopark. We will highlight the scientific value of the geosites but will promote the links with cultural aspects of many of them. We will emphasize how a rich geological heritage can be the basis for promoting sustainable development in a territory of a low-density and ageing population suffering from complex socio-economic and environmental issues. The field trip will include 2 days based on bus travelling around the Geopark with short walks and 1 full day of hiking in the plateau (easy but long). For those not willing to do the hike, an alternate programme may be prepared.

The value of the field trip includes transportation during the three days of the visit, two nights of accommodation and breakfast, three lunches and two dinners, and documentation to support the visit.

Organizers: José Luís Zêzere, Ricardo Garcia, Sérgio Oliveira, Jorge Trindade, César Andrade
Duration: 17-19 September 2022 (3 days)
Participants: 45
Price: €510.00 per person (double room) or €655.00 per person (single room). For single room bookings, please book the double room and contact the organizers by email.

Itinerary

Day 1: Coimbra (departure at 7.00 am), Lisbon - Fanhões - Trancão Valley - Calhandriz - Arruda dos Vinhos - Quintas - Lisbon;

Day 2: Lisbon - Ribeira de Ilhas - Ericeira - Azenhas do Mar - Cabo da Roca - Boca do Inferno - Cascais - Lisbon;

Day 3: Lisbon - Almada (Cristo Rei) - Capuchos viewpoint - Costa da Caparica - Arrábida Mountains - Cabo Espichel - Lisbon.

Summary: The Lisbon region presents some outstanding geomorphological landscapes that will be visited during this field trip. Cuestas were shaped by differential erosion during the Quaternary in the area located north of Lisbon, where the recent and present-day slope instabilities have been characterized by the occurrence of rainfall-triggered shallow slides and deep-seated slope movements. Near the Atlantic Ocean, the Sintra mountain stands out regionally, resulting from the intrusion of a complex of alkaline igneous rocks during the upper Cretaceous. This small mountain stands out on a coastal plateau laid over Mesozoic sedimentary rocks. Southwards of the Tagus valley, the Arrábida chain is a major structural example of the Alpine orogeny in Portugal, containing anticlines and overthrust faults that were explored by differential erosion. It presents one of the most spectacular coastal geomorphological settings in Portugal, with vertical sea cliffs of over 150 m plunging into the Atlantic Ocean. Beside the existing sea cliffs, the Lisbon region coastal zone is characterized by narrow sandy beaches that are subjected to erosion due to the low sediment supply and the sea level rise. Additionally, within a distance of just a few kilometres, coastal systems change from rocky coasts to beach–dune systems, a uniqueness that will be observed during this field trip.

The value of the field trip includes transportation for the three days of the visit, two nights of accommodation and breakfast, three lunches and two dinners, and documentation to support the visit.