the village has a blue flag down below
At the bottom of the valley, where the river passes below the houses, a dam creates the Praia Fluvial de Piódão. It's had Blue Flag status since 2016 and won the Quercus gold medal for water quality the same year. You're right in the Serra do Açor, and yet this is called a beach.
The water is cold. A mountain stream that comes down from the hills, it stays cold even in August. There's a bar with a terrace, a picnic area, children's zone, toilets with showers, parking and a first aid post.
The advantage is the geography: it's right next to the village of Piódão. You've been up, photographed the schist, come back down through the lanes. Now you put your feet in the water without going anywhere else. If you're specifically coming for the beach, there are others closer to Arganil; if you're already here, this one wraps up the day.
worth knowing
- Blue Flag since 2016 and Quercus gold medal the same year
- cold water from the mountain stream that comes down from the Serra do Açor
- bar, picnic area, children's zone, toilets and parking on site
- right next to the village, you can combine the visit to Piódão and the beach on the same day
