The President of the Republic, António José Seguro, attended a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the Côa Valley Archaeological Park at the Côa Museum on 10 August 2026. The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, and the President of the Côa Parque Foundation, João Paulo Sousa, alongside local government officials, academics and representatives of various institutions.

The visit included a train journey between Pinhão and Pocinho, connecting two UNESCO World Heritage sites in the region: the Alto Douro Wine Region and the rock art of the Côa Valley.

In his address, António José Seguro recalled the preservation of the engravings and linked it to the future of local communities: “Thirty years ago, we preserved the Côa. Now we must preserve and build a future for the people who make Portugal’s interior their home.”

Margarida Balseiro Lopes highlighted the universal significance of this heritage, which “belongs not only to Portugal, but to all humanity.”

For his part, João Paulo Sousa highlighted the growing understanding of the site: “Today, the territory continues to reveal its true scale, with more than 1,600 rocks spread across 104 archaeological sites. In 2026 alone, 69 rocks were discovered at six different sites.”

The ceremony formed part of the Côa Valley Archaeological Park’s ongoing 30th anniversary celebrations, organised by the Côa Parque Foundation. The gathering also provided an opportunity to recall the movement that helped safeguard the engravings, highlight new discoveries and reflect on the challenges of researching and conserving this heritage for future generations.