António Patrão is rarely seen without his signature Basque beret.
A Pedorido native and gardener by trade, he has an obsession with fossils and an uncanny ability to find them—so much so that, even on crutches, he once went fossil hunting.
The first one he found was embedded in the wall of an abandoned house, a rare crustacean fossil. Decades later, he has helped identify and date thousands, mostly of prehistoric plant remains.
A self-taught expert recognised by academia, António—known locally as “Tonito” Patrão—remembers every single fossil he has ever found. Generous with his knowledge, listening to him is like uncovering the history of the Earth through a single stone, interwoven with the wisdom of Portuguese poet António Aleixo, whom he quotes effortlessly.
From Octant Douro, you can follow in “Tonito” Patrão’s footsteps and search for fossils in Castelo de Paiva.
