The human occupation of the present-day municipality of Mira dates back hundreds of thousands of years. From roman times there were also various
building materials, traces of Roman couples, which are the oldest testimonies of the first permanent dwellings of the fishermen-farmers of the present lands of Mira. Already in the Muslim period, the whole region would have been the scene of wars between Christians and Arabs, until, in 1064, the affirmation of the power of Christians with the conquest of Coimbra took place. All Arab influence has always been very clear, with even the region one of the largest foci of Mozambisis in the entire peninsula. During these "struggles" several new locations emerged in the lines of borders and lines of separation of territories, with continuous and definitive occupation of the conquered territories. Among them is Mira.
The Monastery of Santa Cruz carried out an intense development of the lands of Mira, seeking to fix the men and withdraw the possible income from the land. Mira gradually becomes a living and varied picture of local people and people in circulation, with obligations, thanks and privileges, in which the quietness of the places is broken with marketers arriving, with their beasts carrying products from other parts.
The municipality of Mira, with an approximate surface of 123 km², is dominated by a sandy cover of recent sedimentary origin, called "Areias da Gândara", and is covered by a leafy pine forest. Gândara and Gafanhas, an environmental statute at European level for the protection of habitats and associated specific species and which includes dunes, pine forests, lagoons and streams. The Mira canal, in the sapal area of The Areão de Mira, belongs to the Special Protection Zone of the Ria de Aveiro, a safeguard for biodiversity and protection of the bird life.
Thus, those who walk and enjoy the lands of Mira, especially the cycle-pedestrian track, about 25km long, realize the different landscapes that cross: from the coastal edge and dunes, to the huge green spot formed by the forest, through shredded agricultural fields, watercourses and the two freshwater lagoons that, together, create an idyllic landscape setting.
The typical gastronomy of the Region of Gândara, intertwining traditions of a less affluent rural area, very close to Bairrada, with uses linked to the Ria de Aveiro and bounded by the Atlantic sea coast, is divided itself into a variety of products, different flavors and palates, worthy of appreciation, but always with heritages linked to the way of life of our ancestors and their tasks, both in agriculture and in fishing. The busy lives of these laborious and intelligent people led them to create a peculiar diet based on local products that, with a more or less easy, particular and effective confection, has always valued spices and knowledge inherited from generation to generation.
The municipality of Mira has a varied rural heritage with a set of natural and cultural conditions that are of interest to value and make known. For these reasons, the walking routes of the municipality of Mira, associated with the practice of pedestrianism, are a bet in order to diversify and enhance tourism, making known the territory and its heritage. They are a healthy and exceptional way to know the territory and its environmental, cultural and architectural values. Five of these routes are interconnected (except the MIR PR6), integrating the Network of Pedestrian Paths of Interpretation of the Heritage of Mira.
Mira beach is an urban bathing area with intensive use, excellent conditions for bathing practice and quite tradition. Poço da Cruz beach is an almost natural bathing area, of the non-urban type of little intensive use. It has great conditions for bathing and sports, such as surfing and paragliding. Both have several equipment available for bathers who pass through them: accessibility, changing rooms, beach showers, beach ecopoints, first aid station, lifeguard and beverage and catering equipment.
Source: Mira City Council