Parque Natural de Alvão | Parque Natural de Serra da Estrela |
Parque Natural das Serras de Aire e Candeeiros | Parque Natural da Serra de São Mamede |
Parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais | Parque Natural da Arrábida |
Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina | Parque Natural da Ria Formosa |
Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana
Surface: 71 422 hect.
Localization: North, Districts of Braga, Viana do Castelo and Vila Real
Fauna: «wild» horse (equus callus), "corso", wolf, fox, genet, otter, mole, some eagles, kite, owl (bubo bubo), black viper, watersnake, snake "bastarda", sand-lizard, salamander (chioglossa lusitana), several tritons.
Human Ocupation: The park is occupied since at least 5000 years. Some communities, in Soajo and Peneda, live in villages located on valleys in winter and move with animals to villages on plateaux on summer.
Walking circuits: Castro Laboreiro (3), Mezio, Caldas do Gerês, Cabril, Pitões das Júnias.
Cultural Patrimony builded:
Surface: 74 800 hect.
Localization: North-East, District of Bragança
Fauna: wolf, deer, roe deer, boar, otter, mole, royal eagle, black sweep, hunter and blue kestrel, grey partridge, screech-owl (coruja-das-torres).
Culture: The singular party of masks in the village Sto Estevão on 26th of December, used to celebrate when the boys become adults.
Cultural Patrimony builded:
Surface: 7 220 hect.
Localization: North, District of Vila Real, Serra do Alvão
Weather: usually damp weather
Fauna: wolf (rare), roe deer, wild boar, mole, royal eagle (aquila chrysaetos), eagle with round wing, screech-owl (coruja-do-mato), blue titmouse, salamander with yellow spots, triton with orange belly, toad (sapo-corredor), snake (cobra-de-água-de-colar).
Activities: culture of flax and transformation into linen.
Walking circuits: Ermelo, Galegos da Serra, Lamas de Olo
Cultural Patrimony builded:
Surface: 101 060 hect.
Localization: Central, Districts of Castelo Branco and Guarda, on the highest Portuguese mountain (1993 meters)
Fauna: fox, wolf (rare), wild boar, otter, genet, badger, weasel, wild cat, mole, eagle with round wing, kestrel hunter (circus pygargus), eagle (águia-cobreira), screech-owl (coruja-do-mato), sparrow-hawk, goshawk, ringdove, jay, bullfinch with reddish brown chest (pisco-de-peito-ruivo), Argelian wall lizard, wall lizard of the mountain, toad (sapo parteiro), Iberic frog, Portuguese salamander, snake (cobra-de-água-viperina).
Human Ocupation: The park is occupied since the Middle Age. One important activity is the job of shepherd, wich results in a very good cheese made of sheep milk. With the shepherds there is always the beautiful dogs natives of the region - the full-blooded Serra da Estrela dogs. They are big dogs, 62-72cm tall and 30-50 kg weight, dense hair, small ears and good shepherds.
Walking circuits:
Cultural Patrimony builded: Guarda-Torre-Vide, Vila Soeiro-Gouveia-Louriga, Videmonte-Verdelhos-Loriga
Surface: 38 900 hect.
Localization: Center, Districts of Leiria and Santarém
Fauna: important groups of bats, magpie (gralha-de-bico-vermelho/pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), sparrow-hawk, screech-owl (coruja-do-mato), woodpecker, royal-blackcap, the snakes' eagle (águia-cobreira), falcon, salamander with yellow spots and toad of black nail.
Human Ocupation: The park is occupied since the prehistory, including the Roman and Moor periods.
Other characteristics: once the ground was full of stones the men tried to clean the fields to cultivate them. With the stones they build walls to divide the fiels, houses and mills. Due to erosion of the limestone, very commnon on the park, resulted the caves of Sto António, Alvados and Mira d'Aire. In the park is also placed the only one salt-pan of the country that is not close to the sea: the salt-pan of Fonte da Bica.
Walking circuits: Serra da Lua, Arco da Memória and Vale de Ventos.
Cultural Patrimony builded:
Type of ecosystem: Mountain
Surface: 31 760 hect.
Localization: South, District of Portalegre
Fauna: European-royal-deer ( cervus elaphus hispanicus), lynx (rare), wild boar, genet, fox, wild-cat, badger, otter, an important group of bats, Bonneli eagle ( hieraaetus fasatus), the snakes' eagle (águia-cobreira), grey kite, eagle with round wing, royal owl, screech-owl ("coruja-das-torres"), black stork, gryphon, some families of vultures, Iberic frog, toad ("sapo-parteiro-Ibérico"), triton with orange belly ( triturus boscai), the water lizard, viper, snake ("cobra-de-água-viperina"), carp, barbel and "boga".
Human Ocupation: There are vestiges from the paleolithic: dolmens, menhirs and rupestral paints. There are also marks from the Roman occupation (ruins of Amaia) and Arab (village of Marvão).
Other characteristics: Some caves, caverns and spas on Escusa Valley (Porto de Espada). Thermal springs of Castelo de Vide. The common houses have only one floor, are painted in white, have a horizontal sense and a big chimney. The constructions "chouças" and "chafurdões" are tipics on this region; they are round, made of small stones and covered of stem, usually used to kip agricultural implements and animals.
Walking circuits: Carreiras, Esperança, Reguengo and Galegos.
Cultural Patrimony builded:
Surface: 14 583 hect.
Localization: district of Lisboa
Fauna: hawk ("falcão-peregrino"), goshawk, sparraw-hawk, Bonneli eagle ( hieraaetus fasatus), royal owl, screech-owl ("coruja-das-torres"), sea crow with crest (phlacrocorax aristotelis), sea crow with white faces, small merganser, shady sparrow, red partridge, bittern, ringdove, jay, spotted starling, fox, mole, weasel, genet, polecat, shrewmole with white teeth, hedgehog, triton with orange belly ( triturus boscai), toad ("sapo-parteiro"), water lizard, salamander with yellow spots, triton "marmorado", horned viper, tortoise with channeled carapace and several snakes.
Human Ocupation: The park has inhabitants since the paleolithyc; Romans, Visgoths and Mussulmans lived there. There are vestiges of the dense ocupation of Romans and Arabs. From the actual activities one must remark the production of the good wine Colares.
Other characteristics: Reference to the eruptive massif of Sintra with 80 to 85 million years, the cliffs of Azenhas do Mar, the formations resulted by the wind and sea erosions between Cidadela and Ponta Alta, and the dunes of Guincho/Pinhal da Marinha.
Walking circuit: Sintra -> old road of Colares (Seteais, Monserrate) -> Colares -> Penedo -> Pé de Guerra -> Peninha -> Capuchos -> Castelo dos Mouros -> Pena (palace and park) -> São pedro de Sintra.
Cultural Patrimony builded:
Surface: 10 821 hect.
Localization: district of Setúbal
Fauna: fox, badger, genet, wild-cat, hare, weasel, polecat, several colonies of bats, hawk (falco peregrinus), Bonneli eagle ( hieraaetus fasatus), royal owl, kite, sparraw-hawk, goshawk, "shoed"-eagle, screech-owl ("coruja-das-torres"), "brushwood" screech-owl, Gallician-owl and more than 130 sorts of butterflies.
Human Ocupation: The park is occupied since very early, during the Pre-History and the Metals Age. The most interesting urban places are Vila Nogueira de Azeitão, Vila Fresca and Aldeia de Irmãos.
Other characteristics: The park preserves actually the most significant ancient mediterranean forest. The main sorts are oak, holm-oak, arbutus-tree, laurel and wild olive. It's possible to see in the park many structures related with water: aqueducts, depots, common washing-places. The most known wine of the region is the Moscatel de Setúbal. The windmills are frequent on the park.
Walking circuit: Track of Montes de Azeitão; track of the mills; track of Sopé da Serra; track of Casais da Serra.
Cultural Patrimony builded:
Surface: 74 788 hect.
Localization: district of Beja and Faro
Fauna: The birds are the main fauna of the park, around 2 hundred species. The several species one can found are: "fishery" eagle (pandion haliaetus), kite with flat back, Bonneli eagle ( hieraaetus fasatus), white stork, the "towers'" kite, the hawk "peregrino", "the rocks'" pigeon, fox, genet, wild cat, weasel, Iberian lynx, otter, Iberian brushwood sand-lizard, salamander with yellow spots, tree-frog.
Human Ocupation: The park is occupied since the paleolithic period. There are signs of the existence of hunter-fishermen societies during the mesolithic period. There are also some vestiges of Roman and mainly Arab presence in the region. There are no big historic buildings in the park, only some churchs, castels and chapels.
Other characteristics: The park landscape is full of cliffs and gorges, beaches, small islands and isolated rocks. The island Ilha do Pessegueiro, near Porto Côunf;vo, is an important turistic place.
Cultural Patrimony builded:
Surface: 18 400 hect.
Localization: district of Faro
Fauna: flamingo, gray plover, curlew, several ducks (royal, "trumpeter", shoveller, duckling), halcyon, sand hawthorn berry, sea turtle-dove, dwarf long billed tern, sea-swallow with red beak, small white heron, sultana-chicken (porphyrio porphyrio), rock-bass, gilthead, sargus, around 3 hundred of shell-fishes, several crustaceos (shrimps, spider crab, ...), chameleon, turkish house lizard, viperine water snake, genet, badger, weasel, fox, otter, shrewmole, mole, hedgehog.
Human Ocupation: The oldest occupation in the coast was in the paleolithic period and in the inner side on the mesolithic. The Arabs influenced strongly the region. The fishermen community on the Culatra Island is the most representative. The cultural patrimony includes fortresses, chapels, curches, "noras" (devices to rise water), tide mills and the traditional boats for fishing ("chata", canoe, "bateira", "dori"). The Portuguese water's dog is a domestic animal characteristic of this region.
Other characteristics: The park has a lagoon system with 60 Km and a cordon of dunes, which limits the park on the sud and includes small islands and peninsulas.
Walking circuits: Close to the village Quinta de Marim and close to the village Cacela-a-Velha.
Places to visit: