Broeira is one of the small places scattered over the schist uplands south of Vila Nova de Foz Côa, a name on a map more than a destination, and the pleasure of it is the ride that links it to the others. The roads here belong to the edge of the Douro country, where the river's famous terraces give way to a higher and starker plateau of almond, olive, rockrose and cork oak, and the sky seems to take up most of the view. A good plan is to treat the area as a loop of villages, each with a church, a fountain and a cafe that opens at odd hours.
Not far to the west, the Douro road known as the N222 is often called the best driving road in the world, a claim made by a car magazine and repeated by every rider who has taken it. It runs between Peso da Régua and Pinhão through a deep gorge of vines, and the Port wine terraces on its slopes make the region a World Heritage landscape. Here, in the east, the pace is slower and the traffic much lighter. The railway that follows the Douro valley ends at Pocinho, a few kilometres from Foz Côa, and a trip on the old line with its stone stations tiled in blue azulejos is a pleasure for anyone who wants a day off the bike.
The Côa Valley rock art, found in the 1990s and dating from the Ice Age, is the reason most people come. The engravings of horses and wild cattle cover the schist along the river, and visits are by guided tour from the museum at the edge of the town, so book in advance in spring and autumn, which are the busy months. The tours involve short walks over uneven ground, and in summer the heat on the rocks is severe, so carry water and wear a hat.
September brings the grape harvest, when the valleys echo with tractors and the smell of crushed fruit hangs in the air, and traffic on narrow lanes can be slow behind loaded trailers. Fuel and shops are in Vila Nova de Foz Côa, a short ride away, and it is wise to fill up there before exploring the smaller lanes. At dusk the schist glows red and gold, and the first stars come out over a landscape almost without lights.