Throughout much of this stage, the Vouga River is the centre of attention with its famous curves and counter-curves, which led to the old Vouga Line being popularly known as the Vale das Voltas Line. After exploring all the corners of Sever do Vouga, the stage heads south, towards Pessegueiro do Vouga, where you can make a brief detour to visit its Mother Church before laying eyes upon the river for the first time. Next to the old Paradela Railway Station, you find the kilometre 0 of the Ecopista de Sever do Vouga, an infrastructure that results from the deactivation and requalification of the old Vouga Line, which will travel along the meandering river, away from all traffic constraints of EN16. Still in Pessegueiro do Vouga, be sure to visit the accessible Quinta do Barco River Beach and, a little further on, the scenic Ponte do Poço de Santiago, considered to be the highest stone bridge in the country, with a height of 28,5m and a passage 165m long, spanning across the river. Shortly beyond the mouth of Rio Mau, the Ecopista pavement changes to dirt and, a few metres from the mouth of the river Caima, and leads north, accompanying the bed of this river to the village of Valmaior. Following that, is a small section of the bike path that, from here on, follows the EN16 to Albergaria-a-Velha.