World’s Longest Pedestrian Suspension Bridge Opens In Portugal

Jittery visitors cross 1,700ft-long walkway in Portugal that hangs 575ft above a river – and say the (wobbly) experience is ‘extraordinary’.

Hugo Xavier became one of the first people to cross the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge when it opened on Thursday near his tiny hometown of Arouca in northern Portugal.

Oh…here we go!,’ the 42-year-old said anxiously, as he gathered enough courage to step onto the see-through metal grid pathway of the 516-metre-long (1,693-ft) bridge alongside his equally jittery partner and a tour guide.

Hidden between rock-strewn mountains covered with lush greenery and yellow flowers inside the Unesco-recognised Arouca Geopark, the bridge, called 516 Arouca, hangs 175 metres (575ft) above the fast-flowing River Paiva.