Mira De Aire: Polje, Hiking Trail and Textile History

The Mira-Minde Polje, PR12 and the Museu Industrial e Artesanal do Têxtil offer different perspectives on Mira De Aire: landscape, movement and textile history. To get your bearings, it is worth looking at the shape of the polje and its seasonal changes, the key details of the circular hiking trail, and the subjects covered by the textile museum.

Mira-Minde Polje: Shape and Seasons

The Mira-Minde Polje is a flat depression with temporary springs. These are formed by several streams that seep into the ground. It is the largest polje in the region, measuring 4,000 metres in length and up to 1,800 metres in width. Even at its widest point, the depression is therefore more than twice as long as it is wide. These figures add a concrete sense of scale to the description of the terrain.

In winter, the polje fills with water and forms a large lake. Birds found there at that time include mallards, moorhens and coots. From the Miradouro Mira de Aire, you can look out over the Mira-Minde Polje. Alongside its dimensions, the landscape description thus includes seasonal natural features and a named viewpoint.

Hiking and Views

If you are choosing between a hike and a viewpoint, PR12 and the Miradouro offer different options. The PR12 – Rota do Polje Mira-Minde is a circular hiking trail that starts and ends in Mira de Aire. From the Miradouro Mira de Aire, you can look out over the Mira-Minde Polje. This lets you choose according to the format you prefer: a walk around the area or a view of the depression.

Textile History at MIAT

The Museu Industrial e Artesanal do Têxtil (MIAT) is housed in a building constructed in 1924 as the Dom Fuas carpet factory. Visitors can follow the wool-processing process there: from shearing through washing, carding, spinning and dyeing to weaving. The sequence makes the production process tangible through a series of successive steps.

MIAT aims to honour the memory of the generations who made Mira de Aire and Minde important Portuguese textile-industry centres in the 20th century. Alongside the steps involved in wool processing, the industrial significance of both places thus offers another way to explore textile history.

Caves and Water Park

The Grutas de Mira d’Aire are among the caves in the Parque Natural das Serras de Aire e Candeeiros that are equipped to receive visitors. They have various visitor facilities. The polje and the Grutas are clearly distinct natural features: the polje is a flat depression, while the Grutas are caves in the natural park.

The Parque Aquático Aqua Gruta has an adult pool with a diameter of 18 metres and three water slides. If these facilities are important for planning your trip, check the details again before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Juncal, Mendiga, Alqueidão da Serra, Pedreiras, Arrimal, Porto De Mós

Go to the main travel overview: Porto De Mós.