The Cabeço do Gralheiro viewpoint is located on the southern slope of the Serra da Freita, fully integrated into the PR8 hiking trail. This is a territory of high ecological sensitivity, where landscape reading, controlled intervention and long-term durability are essential.
The challenge was to create an observation point that would allow visitors to contemplate and understand the territory without compromising the surrounding ecosystem. A project where infrastructure does not impose itself on the landscape, but instead reveals it.
Infrastructure as a tool for preservation
In sensitive natural areas, viewpoints must respond to a dual requirement: enabling public use while protecting the territory from dispersed and uncontrolled impact.
The intervention at Cabeço do Gralheiro was designed to concentrate visitor presence in a defined location, reducing off-trail trampling and preserving soils, vegetation and habitats. The viewpoint acts as an infrastructure for containment and orientation, fully integrated into the existing hiking route.
Viewpoint in recycled plastic
Recycled plastic as a structural material
The design and installation of the viewpoint were carried out entirely in recycled plastic. This material choice directly addresses the site’s demands: permanent exposure to weather conditions, thermal variations, moisture and the absence of future maintenance.
Recycled plastic offers high durability and resistance to water, frost and UV radiation, maintaining both structural and chromatic stability over time. Its resistance to rot, cracking and corrosion makes it particularly suitable for natural environments where human intervention must be minimal and long-lasting.
A place to pause, read and interpret
The viewpoint includes two benches and an interpretive table, also produced in recycled plastic. These elements create a resting point along the trail, encouraging observation, pause and engagement with the landscape.
The interpretive table explores the surrounding territory, promoting an educational and environmental awareness experience. More than a destination, the viewpoint becomes a place to understand the natural environment and its dynamics.
Enhancing the trail, valuing the territory
The intervention at Cabeço do Gralheiro strengthens the value of the PR8 trail, qualifying the walking experience without altering the character of the place. The infrastructure allows visitors to observe, understand and respect the landscape, while contributing to the protection of the ecosystem.
Designed and installed by Floema, the Cabeço do Gralheiro viewpoint stands as an example of how design, material choice and territorial awareness can converge into a durable, functional and environmentally responsible solution.
A project where recycled plastic is not merely a material — but a tool for preservation, education and conscious enjoyment of the landscape.
