# Vale do Côa, Portugal: what it is and when to go

> Vale do Côa is a protected area in Portugal (Zona de Proteção Especial do Vale do Côa). Interests: Nature and Wildlife. The best time to visit is April to October. In June there are 14 h 55 of daylight, and in December, 9 h 04. It has an article in one Wikipedia, so it is not one of the busiest places in Portugal: one to enjoy at a calmer pace. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip.

- Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/coa-valley-special-protection-area/
- Reviewed on: 2026-10-02
- Language: en

## In a nutshell

- **What it is:** Protected area in Portugal · Nature, Wildlife
- **Local name:** Zona de Proteção Especial do Vale do Côa
- **Where:** Portugal
- **Best time:** April to October.
- **Nearest airport:** OPO Porto, 140 km as the crow flies
- **Opening hours:** 24/7
- **Website:** [natura2000.eea.europa.eu](https://natura2000.eea.europa.eu/Natura2000/SDF.aspx?site=PTZPE0039)
- **Run by:** Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas
- **Coordinates:** 40.91591, -7.07584

## What it is and where

Vale do Côa is a protected area in Portugal (Zona de Proteção Especial do Vale do Côa). It has an article in one Wikipedia, so it is not one of the busiest places in Portugal: one to enjoy at a calmer pace.

Its coordinates are 40.91591, -7.07584; the nearest main airport is Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO, Porto), 140 km as the crow flies. How to get around Portugal (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/#moverse).

- [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=40.915909%2C-7.075841)
- [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=40.915909%2C-7.075841)

- **Run by:** Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas

It is one of the [Nature](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/naturaleza/) and [Wildlife](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/fauna/) places in Portugal. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap.

## When to go

The best time to visit Vale do Côa is **April to October**.

| Mes | Época | Hours of daylight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| January | Possible | 9 h 22 |
| February | Possible | 10 h 26 |
| March | Possible | 11 h 40 |
| April | Best time | 13 h 06 |
| May | Best time | 14 h 17 |
| June | Best time | 14 h 55 |
| July | Best time | 14 h 40 |
| August | Best time | 13 h 38 |
| September | Best time | 12 h 15 |
| October | Best time | 10 h 53 |
| November | Possible | 9 h 40 |
| December | Possible | 9 h 04 |

In June there are 14 h 55 of daylight, and in December, 9 h 04. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather.

| What you come for | Best time | Possible |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nature | April to October | November to March |
| Wildlife | April to October | November to March |

It is not the same trip whatever you come for: Vale do Côa has a different season depending on what you want to do here, and [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) puts it in the right month for you.

When to go to Portugal in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/#cuando-ir).

## Before you go to Portugal

To enter Portugal there are 6 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Valid ID card (DNI) or passport”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the Portugal checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/#antes-de-salir). Currency: Euro (EUR); plugs: Type C and F · 230 V · 50 Hz (the same as in Spain); emergencies: 112.

In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it.

## What is nearby

- [Faia Brava](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/area-protegida-privada-faia-brava/): Protected area in Portugal · 2.6 km
- [Serra da Marofa](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/marofa/): Mountain in Portugal · 9.1 km
- [Castle of Castelo Rodrigo](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/castelo-de-castelo-rodrigo/): Building in Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo Municipality, Guarda District, Portugal · 10 km
- [Pelourinho de Castelo Rodrigo](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/pelourinho-de-castelo-rodrigo/): Pillory in Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Portugal · 10 km
- [Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/prehistoric-rock-art-sites-in-the-coa-valley-and-siega-verde/): Paleolithic archaeological site in Portugal · 11 km

Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the Portugal guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/).

## More in Portugal: Nature

- [Jerónimos Monastery](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/monasterio-de-los-jeronimos/): building in Santa Maria de Belém, Lisbon District, Portugal
- [Mount Pico](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/montana-del-pico/): stratovolcano in the Azores and the highest mountain of Portugal
- [Berlengas](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/reserva-natural-de-las-berlengas/): archipelago in Portugal
- [Alto Douro](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/alto-douro-wine-region/): UNESCO World Heritage Site
- [Peneda-Gerês National Park](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/parque-nacional-de-peneda-gerez/): protected area in Portugal
- [Pico Ruivo](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/ruivo/): highest peak on the Madeira Islands

Every Portugal place under Nature, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/naturaleza/).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Vale do Côa?

It is a protected area in Portugal (Zona de Proteção Especial do Vale do Côa in the local language). It has an article in one Wikipedia, so it is not one of the busiest places in Portugal: one to enjoy at a calmer pace.

### When is the best time to visit Vale do Côa?

April to October. In June there are 14 h 55 of daylight, and in December, 9 h 04.

### How do you get to Vale do Côa?

The nearest main airport is Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO), 140 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=40.915909%2C-7.075841) opens the route on the map, and how to get around Portugal is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/#moverse).

### How do I add it to my trip?

With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the Portugal map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby.

### What else is around here?

Nearby you have [Faia Brava](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/area-protegida-privada-faia-brava/), [Serra da Marofa](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/marofa/), [Castle of Castelo Rodrigo](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/castelo-de-castelo-rodrigo/). The rest is in [the Portugal guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/).

Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/9984851), licensed under the ODbL, and from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q63378405), CC0. Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).