With its white churches and tiled town square, Arouca, a Portuguese town an hour south of Porto, was already noted for its beauty. Now, thanks to the debut of 516 Arouca, the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge, Arouca is receiving global attention for its engineering. Made from steel cables, the 1,693-ft.-long structure is suspended 574 ft. above the Paiva River, a popular spot for rafting, and takes around 10 minutes to cross. The newly opened attraction can be found in Arouca Geopark, part of UNESCO’s European Geoparks Network and known for its nature tourism and extreme-sports activities. The park also boasts a steep and zigzagging 5.1-mile-long wooden walking path; Roman and medieval ruins; and the Monastery of Arouca, one of the country’s largest granite buildings. —Tamara Hardingham-Gill
World's Greatest Places 2021
