Museu do Côa
Archaeology and rock art museum in Vila Nova de Foz Côa, gateway to the Vale do Côa Archaeological Park, with a permanent exhibition across seven rooms.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museu do Côa was designed by the Porto-based architects Camilo Rebelo and Tiago Pimentel, built from January 2007 and inaugurated on 30 July 2010. The building is based on the idea that the Palaeolithic art of the Côa Valley is perhaps the first manifestation of “land art”: it sits on the top of the hill overlooking the mouth of the Côa, partly embedded in the ground, and the concrete has been treated to imitate the irregularities of the region's schist.
The museum marks the meeting of two World Heritage Sites: the prehistoric art of the Côa Valley and the Douro Wine Landscape. It does not replace a visit to the rock art sites of the Archaeological Park, which are regarded as the real museum, but it serves as a gateway to discovering them. It is also a reception centre for researchers, with the largest national library dedicated to rock art. It is managed by the Fundação Côa Parque.
The permanent exhibition occupies seven rooms and takes visitors from the Upper Palaeolithic to the present day, with the daily life of Palaeolithic artists and the great rock art of the valley as its central theme. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions, educational services with experimental archaeology workshops, a shop and a restaurant.
Highlights
- Permanent exhibition on the Upper Palaeolithic and the rock art of the Côa Valley
- Building by Camilo Rebelo and Tiago Pimentel, integrated into the landscape above the mouth of the Côa
- Gateway to visits to the rock art sites of the Archaeological Park
- Largest national library dedicated to rock art
- Restaurant Côa Museu with a terrace over the Douro
Permanent exhibition
- Exposição permanente do Museu do Côa – Seven rooms covering the Upper Palaeolithic in the Côa Valley, the daily life of Palaeolithic artists and the great open-air rock art, up to the present day.
- Founded
- 2010
- Operated by
- Fundação Côa Parque
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €4Students aged 6 to 18 and, from age 19, with a student card (€4); seniors from 65 (€7); people with disabilities and holders of the Parceiros/RestCôa Museu ticket (€5.30) |
| Children & teens | €4free up to age 5 · Children up to 5 years old: free admission. Students aged 6 to 18: €4. |
| Seniors | €7Aged 65 or over. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €5.30Ticket of €5.30 for people with disabilities. |
| Students & apprentices | €4Students aged 6 to 18; from age 19 on presentation of a student card. |
| Groups | –School visits to the museum: €3.20 per person. |
| Families | €20Family ticket: 2 adults with 2 children up to 18 years old. |
| Guided tour of the museum (supplement) | €3.20 |
| Headphones (supplement) | €2.10 |
| Sundays and public holidays, 09:00–13:00 | €450% discount on the adult ticket. |
Free admission: Sunday and public holiday mornings (09:00–13:00): 50% discount on the adult ticket. Free admission, among others, for residents of the municipalities in the Park area (Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Mêda, Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo and Pinhel) on Sunday mornings, with proof; for members of APOM/ICOM, ICOMOS and archaeologists' associations; and for holders of the Circuitos Ciência Viva card.
Price list of the Fundação Côa Parque, valid from 1 February 2025. Audio guides are free. Visits to the rock art sites have their own prices (for example €18 per adult for the visit to the rock art site), and joint visits with other sites have specific prices.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €20 · Family ticket: 2 adults with 2 children up to 18 years old. |
- Family tours & workshops
There is a family ticket (2 adults with 2 children up to 18), and the education service organises experimental archaeology workshops.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Restaurant
- Museum shop
Restaurant Côa Museu, with a terrace over the Douro Wine Landscape, and the museum shop (also an online shop).
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Free audio guides at the entrance; guided tours of the museum carry a supplement. The education service of the Fundação Côa Parque organises, among other things, experimental archaeology workshops for schools and the general public. Visits to the rock art sites of the Archaeological Park by booking. |
