O Pioneiro - Kayak-tours on the Mondego
Every day, between Penacova and Coimbra
Kayak adventures - Frequently asked questions
Here we collect some of the questions participants used to ask us. Everything you need to know about our kayak adventure on the Mondego river near Coimbra: where, when, how and what to bring. Do you have any other questions? Do not hesitate to contact us!
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What changes with Covid-19?
O Pioneiro do Mondego reopened its activity with the “clean and safe” label of Turismo de Portugal. Most of our activities take place in the open, where the recommended physical distance of 2 meters is easily ensured. For the participants, little changes. They only need to bring masks to use during transport - which will work with the maximum capacity recommended by the Portuguese ministry of Health of 2/3, and during the passages at two dams. All material is disinfected; either with ecological alcohol-based disinfectants, or by using a weeklong quarantine between uses. Alcohol disinfection is available at the transport and at the facilities of O Pioneiro do Mondego.
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What are the minimal conditions to do the descent?
The descent is accessible to anyone with a normal physical condition; canoeing being a water sport however, any participant should be able swim. All participants receive life-jackets and are insured by a personal accident and public responsibility insurance. Being able to swim is necessary however, for participants to feel comfortable and not get in panic in the rare occasion of falling in the water.
When can we book?
In calm periods, and for small groups, you can still make a reservation a day before your trip. But to be sure of the availability of kayaks, it is advisable to book as early as possible (particularly for large groups and during the weekends)..
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How to make a booking?
The booking can be done by phone, by email or through the form on this site. We need a name of the person responsible for the reservation, a phone number and the number of participants. We ask you to confirm the booking with the exact number of people one week before the date of the descent.
How do I pay?
Payment can be made on the very day in cash or check - or by bank transfer or paypal. In the latter case, you should send the transfer confirmation before the date of descent. The IBAN of O Pioneiro do Mondego is PT50 0035 0594 0001 3345 1304 5 (BIC: CGDIPTPL) – Fiscal number: 502 042 133.
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Do not forget:
-Dry clothes for the end of the trip
-Shoes that can get wet (preferably sneakers)
-1 identification document per group.
-Water and a snack (there is a bar along the trip)
-Sun protection!
-Mask to use during transport
05
What do we do for lunch?
Traditionally people bring a picnic and you can eat on the many beaches along the way. You can also eat something at the river beach, where the bar serves toasts and sandwiches. For groups we can also arrange a snack or a BBQ during the descent; inquire by email. Groups can use our BBQ's at the end of the trip in Torres for a small extra cost.
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Can children do the river-trip?
If one feels at ease in the water and the child is accompanied by an adult who takes responsibility, age doesn’t matter to do the canoe-trip on the Mondego. We have life jackets for everyone, even for the little ones. We have a special seats to put in the middle of the parents in a double boat. We also give special discounts for children and youth. Take the sun exposure into consideration, however.
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Do you need all the names of the participants?
No. Some adventure sports companies require all the names of the participants for the insurance. To make things less complicated and flexible to organize groups, we opted for an insurer that does not require such data; enjoy it!
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What to do with rainy weather?
When you make a reservation well in advance it is difficult to predict the weather. Although in the Portuguese summers are usually hot and dry, rainy days may occur. It is perfectly possible to do the kayaking in the rain, there is no danger and there are even people who really enjoy kayaking in rough weather; we thus organize the trips anyway. We also have a limited number of raincoats available for participants. But there is no problem in cancelling the reservation (completely or partially) due to weather conditions. We ask you however to warn us as soon as possible if it would be the case!