Drave Village

Drave is an uninhabited village located at 600 m of altitude, in a hollow between the Freita, São Macário and Arada mountain ranges, within the Arouca Geopark, and its first recorded mention dates back to the reign of King Dinis. It is a traditional village where the houses are made of stone, known as pedra lousinha, with schist roofs, and where three rivers meet.

The village is very isolated and shows no signs of modernity: it is not accessible by car, and the nearest village, Regoufe, is 4 kilometres away. It has no electricity, piped water, sanitation, gas, postal service, telephone, and mobile phone coverage is limited.

Origins and History

The oldest document in which Drave is mentioned is the Inquirição dos Reguengos da Beira, from the reign of King Dinis (1279–1325).

Location and geography

The village is isolated and shows no signs of modernity: it is not accessible by car. It has no electricity, piped water, sanitation, gas, or postal service, and mobile phone coverage is limited.

The Martins Family

The Martins family, for whom there are records in Drave dating back to 1700, was one of the village’s largest families and also the last to leave, in 2000.

They still gather every year for the Feast of Nossa Senhora da Saúde, held on 15 August, which continues to take place annually.

The Martins of Drave

The CNE and the Village

In 2003, the CNE—Corpo Nacional de Escutas—opened in Drave its Base Nacional da IV (BNIV), a scout center for Rovers. The path to this point included important moments such as “Rumos da Consciência” (1992), “Rumos do Homem Novo” (1993), and “Rover 2001.” This last activity marks the beginning of the village’s reconstruction.