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2. Stone Paths, Steep Tracks and River Crossings of Porto

Before modern roads, Porto was crossed by a network of tracks, stone paths and river crossings that connected the village with its rivers, gardens, mountains, grazing areas and mountain passes. The calzadas, petadas and pasaes are part of a simple and practical architecture created to move through a difficult, wet and mountainous landscape.

In Porto, calzadas are lines of stones placed along streets or paths, often slightly raised, allowing people to walk with dry feet when rainwater turned the ground into mud. Preserved sections such as Pontepedriño or Valeiros still recall the importance of these routes in everyday life.

Pasales are stepping stones arranged across the bed of a river or stream. They allowed people to cross the water by jumping from stone to stone, without the need to build a bridge. Examples of this traditional system can still be seen in Beiroríu and Entramboloríos.

Petadas are steep sections of track, often paved with stone to make passage easier. Together with paths, portos, portelas and mountain passes, they tell the story of a Porto crossed for centuries by villagers, shepherds, livestock and travellers. These small works of popular engineering still reveal how people lived in and moved through the mountains.