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Gola do Salto site
The steepest gap of the Paiva river
This geosite is observed over a platform from where you can have a privileged view to the landscape marked by the Paiva river. The Gola do Salto corresponds to an approximate gap of three to four meters in the Paiva’s riverbed, considered one of the best places for practicing adventure sports, such as rafting and kayak (rapid of class VI). Its occurrence is related to the conjunction of two geological faults, one with N-S direction, responsible for the straight alignment of the river in this region, and other NE-SW, that determines the direction of the gap. This platform is established over metaconglomerates and metaquartzarenites, but it is located at the surroundings of the contact with schist levels that, together with the intense fracturing sub-perpendicular to the riverbed, could have contributed to the origin of this notable waterfall. Downstream of the Gola do Salto and due to the increased speed of the water caused by the mentioned gap, there is a high erosive capacity that leads to the development of impressive and amazing giant’s kettles.
Besides the wooden observation platform, the geosite has also an informative-interpretative panel of this geological phenomenon, the biodiversity and the adventure sports that are practiced here.
Useful information
Canelas, União de Freguesias de Canelas e Espiunca
110 m
40.585855 | -8.113649
IMG_5537.jpg
Gola do Salto
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