Arouca
Greater Porto
Porto District

Districts of Portugal

Guide to Portugal

Porto District

Northern Region of Portugal

The municipality and city of Arouca are part of the Porto Metropolitan Area, in the district of Aveiro, they are part of the former province of Douro Litoral, a Northern region from Portugal.


Arouca, with 21,154 inhabitants (INE, 2021), is the least populated municipality in the Porto Metropolitan Area.

Location

Arouca (64 km southeast of the city of Porto) is situated to the northwest by the municipality of Gondomar, to the west by Santa Maria da Feira, to the southwest by Oliveira de Azeméis, to the south by Vale de Cambra, to the southeast by São Pedro do Sul, to the east by Castro Daire, to the northeast by Cinfães and to the north by the municipality of Castelo de Paiva.

Area and Population

Currently, Arouca has a population of 21,154 inhabitants, according to the 2021 census (INE, 2021); being the municipality with the smallest population in the Porto Metropolitan Area.

The peak population in Arouca was reached during the 1950s, when it had 26,427 inhabitants.

Tourist attractions in Arouca

In Arouca, among the various tourist attractions, the following stand out:

• the Arouca Monastery

• the Arouca Geopark

• the Harvest Fair

• the Pillory of Arouca and that of Trancoso

• The Chestnut Festival

Learn more: Tourist attractions in Arouca

Land of Gastronomy

In Arouca, lovers of good food can enjoy the famous Arouquesa beef, from animals of the Arouquesa breed, a local breed classified as PDO - Protected Designation of Origin.





Another highlight is the Cabrito da Gralheira, another local breed whose meat is highly prized, especially when grilled.

Regarding desserts, the sweets of Arouca, whose main ingredients are eggs, sugar, and almonds, have a great and recognized tradition, inherited from the nuns of the Convent of Arouca. The highlight is the famous Pão de ló de Arouca

Learn more: Cuisine and Gastronomy of Arouca

Arouca, Land of Vinho Verde

Arouca is located in the RDVV - the Demarcated Region of Vinho Verde. Besides good wines, the gastronomy also deserves mention.

Parishes of the Municipality of Arouca

The following are the parishes of Arouca:

• Alvarenga
• Arouca and Burgo
• Cabreiros and Albergaria da Serra
• Canelas and Espiunca
• Chave
• Covelo de Paivó and Janarde
• Escariz
• Fermedo
• Mansores
• Moldes
• Rossas
• Santa Eulália
• São Miguel do Mato
• Tropeço
• Urrô
• Várzea