Designated in 1979

Situated in the Terra Fria of Trás-os-Montes (northwest Portugal), this protected area includes the mountain ranges of Montesinho and Coroa and is one of the largest Parks in Portugal. Its territory is bordered to the west, north and east by Spain, and includes a series of rounded hills and narrow, steep-sided valleys, with altitudes varying between 438 and 1486 m. The Nature Park includes a number of landscapes of national interest in which the harmonious integration of human activity with nature is evident. The region’s woods of Pyrenean oak Quercus pyrenaica represent one of the largest forest areas of this species in Europe, though they are interspersed with other features, such as groves of sweet chestnut Castanea sativa, stands of holm oak Quercus rotundifolia, galleries of riverside trees, lameiros (irrigated upland pastures), cultivated areas and scrub, where the dominant species are heather Erica spp., broom Genista spp. and gum cistus Cistus ladanifer. The remoteness of the region and the diversity of environmental conditions has led to the existence of a large number of animal species, including 125 species of nesting birds, the golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos and the black stork Ciconia nigra, as well as 70% of Portugal’s species of land mammals. Especially noteworthy are the packs of Iberian wolf Canis lupus in this region, the largest wolf population in the Iberian Peninsula.

There are 88 villages in the Park, with some 80 000 inhabitants mainly working in forestry, cattle-raising and traditional agriculture. The human presence in the region is illustrated by megalithic monuments from the Bronze Age with castros, watchtowers, medieval bridges, churches, monasteries and the Gothic castle of Bragança, with its fifteen towers and square turrets. The numerous popular traditional celebrations, like the ancient Festas dos Rapazes (Boys’ Festival) held mainly in the Lombada area around Christmas time, and the Chegas de Bois (ox fights), are examples of the rich social and cultural heritage of this region.