It would seem people have occupied the Douro Valley for a very long time! The name Foz Coa is associated with rock art of the Upper Palaeolithic Period in the valleys of Coa and the Douro rivers. They were officially discovered only in 1995 during the construction of the Coa dam. The Coa Valley has therefore been classified as a national monument and considered a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO.
So far over 26KM of engravings have been discovered with over 1000 examples of rock art. Only 3 of the 66 sites containing the engravings can be visited – so head to the architect built Coa Museum.
Its not what most tourists expect to see when visiting the Douro Valley, but fascinating and well worth a trip.