Mata de Vilar will have the first inclusive forest trail in Portugal

It is not yet fully open to the public, but you can already visit events in Mata with groups and in organized groups, on request.

Mata de Vilar in Lousada.

In a landscape marked by diverse flora, which includes oaks, wild cherry trees, cork oaks and beeches — and red trails where it is common to see a series of animals, such as the newly arrived squirrels — the first inclusive in Portugal is being born, “accessible to people”. with various types of disabilities and mobility”. THE announcement was carried out by the Lousada City Council, the village where Mata de Vilar is located, responsible for hosting the initiative.

The new route, which will be approximately 800 meters long, joins the four existing trails in this 14-hectare area, with varying sizes and degrees of difficulty. It will be complemented with support structures for visitors, namely a sensory interpretive table and other instruments for sensory stimulation and guidance.

Soon, an application for smartphones will also be available and will be implemented in Wifi access points and charging stations using solar energy, the municipality said. The Internet network will also have the function of assisting the management and monitoring of the Forest, allowing the collection and uploading of data in real time on activities, as well as pedagogical, scientific and citizen science activities”.

All this is without neglecting “as conservation works of architectural elements with historical and cultural interest, namely the original cobbled gutters that flank some trails. These will be recovered in an extension of approximately 300 meters, maintaining their original design, from the end of the 19th century, as well as the functionality of conducting rainwater”.