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União das freguesias de Arcos de Valdevez (São Paio) e Giela

Parish of the municipality of Arcos de Valdevez (Arcos de Valdevez), district of Viana do Castelo.

União das freguesias de Arcos de Valdevez (São Paio) e Giela had 1.676 residents in the 2021 Census, 24,8% of whom were aged 65 or over, and 20,1% of the population aged 15 or over had completed higher education. It borders 8 parishes and its centroid is 7,1 km in a straight line from the centroid of the municipality of Arcos de Valdevez.

Population (inh.)
  • 164 – 258
  • 295 – 327
  • 349 – 476
  • 536 – 815
  • 848 – 2.754
Density (inh./km²)
  • 4,5 – 24,8
  • 25,4 – 43,8
  • 49,2 – 97,5
  • 99,5 – 182,2
  • 185,6 – 522,6
Area (km²)
  • 1,7 – 3,8
  • 3,9 – 5,3
  • 5,5 – 8,3
  • 9,0 – 15,1
  • 19,3 – 59,1
Quantile classes · current parish
Parish highlighted. Click a neighbouring parish to open its page. Geometry: CAOP2025, Direção-Geral do Território (simplified).

The 36 parishes of Arcos de Valdevez

Hover a row to highlight it on the map. Click a header to sort.

#ParishPopulationArea (km²)Inhab./km²
1Aboim das Choças2951,83161,2
2Aguiã7073,81185,6
3Cabana Maior17713,4013,2
4Cabreiro32441,727,8
5Cendufe3083,1697,5
6Couto6465,79111,6
7Gavieira25857,714,5
8Gondoriz86133,9725,4
9Jolda (São Paio)3161,70185,9
10Miranda24510,0224,5
11Monte Redondo1962,3882,4
12Oliveira3273,21101,9
13Padroso1977,9324,8
14Paçô9704,60210,9
15Prozelo8153,96205,8
16Rio Frio53619,2827,8
17Rio de Moinhos4333,59120,6
18Sabadim4108,3349,2
19Senharei1647,5321,8
20Sistelo19926,237,6
21Soajo67059,1011,3
22União das freguesias de Alvora e Loureda37810,2436,9
23União das freguesias de Arcos de Valdevez (Salvador), Vila Fonche e Parada2.7545,27522,6
24União das freguesias de Arcos de Valdevez (São Paio) e Giela1.6765,52303,6
25União das freguesias de Eiras e Mei3226,0053,7
26União das freguesias de Grade e Carralcova45013,9532,3
27União das freguesias de Guilhadeses e Santar1.1723,91299,7
28União das freguesias de Jolda (Madalena) e Rio Cabrão4214,2399,5
29União das freguesias de Padreiro (Salvador e Santa Cristina)3494,4378,8
30União das freguesias de Portela e Extremo32311,6127,8
31União das freguesias de Souto e Tabaçô9135,01182,2
32União das freguesias de São Jorge e Ermelo71324,1829,5
33União das freguesias de Távora (Santa Maria e São Vicente)8486,74125,8
34União das freguesias de Vilela, São Cosme e São Damião e Sá4768,9553,2
35Vale66215,1243,8
36Ázere2073,1865,1
Code (DTMNFR)
160153
Resident population (2021)
1.676
Area
5,52 km²
Density
303,6 inh./km²
Share of the municipality (population)
8,1%
Rank in the municipality (population)
2nd of 36

Simplified designation (CAOP2025): “Arcos de Valdevez (São Paio) e Giela”.

INE, Censos 2021 (população residente por freguesia, geografia 2025, ind. 0014584); DGT, CAOP2025 (área). Population refers to the 2021 census moment, compiled by INE for the parish boundaries in force in 2025.

2021 Census in detail

Men
787 (47,0%)
Women
889 (53,0%)
Portuguese nationality
1.627 (97,1%)
Foreign nationality
49 (2,9%)
Ageing index
197,6 elderly per 100 young people
Private households
710
Average household size *
2,36 people
Dwellings
1.237
Classic family dwellings
1.236
Buildings
681
Buildings with 7 or more floors
1
With higher education (15+)
20,1% (295)
Unemployment rate *
6,25% (H 5,84% · M 6,65%)
Active / employed population
768 / 720

Population by age group

Population by age group0-14 years: 210 (12,5%); 15-24 years: 180 (10,7%); 25-64 years: 871 (52,0%); 65+ years: 415 (24,8%)0-14210 · 12,5%15-24180 · 10,7%25-64871 · 52,0%65+415 · 24,8%
Residents by age group and share of the total (1.676).
Age groupTotalMenWomen
0-14 years210108102
15-24 years1808991
25-64 years871418453
65+ years415172243

Source: INE, Censos 2021 — indicators 0014630, 0014631, 0014627, 0014623, 0014621, 0014635, 0014636, 0012481, 0012328, 0014632, obtained from the INE indicators API on 24/09/2026 (licence CC BY 4.0). Parish geography of 2025 (CAOP2025). Nationality (Portuguese, foreign, stateless) is INE indicator 0014632. * Indicator published by INE only for 2013 parish geography (NUTS 2024); used because the parish has the same territory in both geographies (identical population by sex and age group). Ageing index = population aged 65+ ÷ population aged 0–14 × 100; share with higher education = residents with completed higher education ÷ residents aged 15 or over (our calculations from INE figures).

Neighbouring parishes

Straight-line distance to the centroid of the municipality of Arcos de Valdevez
7,1 km

Neighbourhood calculated from official boundaries: DGT, Carta Administrativa Oficial de Portugal (CAOP) 2025 (licence CC BY 4.0); two parishes are neighbours when they share a boundary segment. The distance is the straight-line (great-circle) distance between the geometric centroid of the parish and that of the municipality (in territories with islets, of the main part), not a road distance.

2025 local elections — Parish assembly

Registered voters
1.728
Voters
1.106
Turnout
64,00% (2021: 58,35%)
Seats
9
ListVotes%Seats
PPD/PSD
Partido Social Democrata
62856,78%6
PS
Partido Socialista
35331,92%3
CH
CHEGA
827,41%0
Blank votes282,53%
Null votes151,36%

Most-voted list, which elects the parish-council president: PPD/PSD.

Source: SGMAI — official results of the local elections of 12 October 2025 (Secretary-General of the Ministry of Internal Administration), consulted on 25/09/2026. Percentages calculated by SGMAI over total voters.

Heraldry

Coat of arms: escudo de azul, com torre quadrangular de prata, lavrada de negro, aberta e iluminada de vermelho, entre duas palmas de ouro postas em pala; em campanha, ponte de quatro arcos de prata, lavrada de negro, firmada nos flancos e movente de uma ponta ondada de três tiras ondadas de prata e azul. Coroa mural de prata de quatro torres aparentes. Listel de prata, com a legenda a maiúsculas de negro: «UNIÃO DAS FREGUESIAS DE ARCOS DE VALDEVEZ (SÃO PAIO) E GIELA»

Flag: de branco; cordão e borlas de azul e prata. Haste e lança de ouro

Seal: nos termos do artigo 18.º da Lei n.º 53/91, com a legenda «União das Freguesias de Arcos de Valdevez (São Paio) e Giela».

Heraldic ordinance published by Declaração de Retificação n.º 614/2014, Diário da República n.º 114/2014, Série II de 2014-06-17 (issuer: União das Freguesias de Arcos de Valdevez (São Paio) e Giela). Excerpt of the official text (coat of arms, flag and seal), reproduced unchanged.

Parish-council contacts

Address
Rua Professor Doutor Eugénio Castro Caldas
Arcos de Valdevez (São Paio)
4970-614 ARCOS DE VALDEVEZ
Telephone
258522756
Fax
258522756
Email
junta-spaio@sapo.pt

Source: DGAL - Portal Autárquico (Direção-Geral das Autarquias Locais), consulted on 25/09/2026.

More information

Coordinates
41,84770, -8,40600
Wikipedia
Arcos de Valdevez (São Paio) e Giela
Wikidata
Q18468012

Source: Wikidata (data under CC0 1.0), consulted on 24/09/2026. The patron saint and coordinates are those recorded on Wikidata.

Sources: INE, 2021 Census (resident population) · DGT, CAOP2025 (area and parishes) · more details · Data updated on 24/09/2026