In Portugal you will find scattered around the country places of preserved beauty, inhabited by a wide diversity of species of flora and fauna, where Man and Nature live in perfect harmony. Protected in order to maintain their biodiversity, many of these areas are classified as Natural Parks and Reserves, and some make part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO and others are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. From the mountains to the coast, passing through volcanoes, peaks and gardens, here are some paradises where green is in the air.

Terras de Bouro

Peneda-Gerês, the only one to be classified as a National Park, stands out from them all. It is located in the northwest of the country and has stunning landscapes between mountains and reservoirs where unique species like the wild garrano horse and the Castro Laboreiro dog breed. Here, like in Montesinho Park, a rural way of life is preserved, with community villages where the people share the work and facilities.

Braga, Braga

The lush vegetation in all shades of green includes a forest of holly, the only one in Portugal, and endemic species such as the Gerês lily, which brightens up the fields with its shades of violet-blue. Rivers and streams flow through the Peneda, Soajo, Amarela and Gerês mountain ranges, which comprise the park, rushing down in waterfalls and then spreading out into reservoirs. The landscapes are breathtaking.

The Douro Internacional Natural Park covers part of the municipalities of Miranda do Douro, Mogadouro, Freixo de Espada à Cinta and Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, along the national frontier formed by the river Douro (in an extension of around 122 km). The steep banks of the deep valley form highly spectacular and monumental ravines in which various bird species, that are endangered at the national and international level, build their nests, who are undoubtedly also attracted by the proximity of farming and cattle raising units, where it is easy to locate and obtain sources of nourishment. The endangered species include the Egyptian vulture or Britango, which has been chosen as the symbol of this power.

Seia Municipality, Guarda District

The largest natural park in Portugal is Serra da Estrela. This is a unique place, with breath-taking landscapes, which includes the highest mountain in mainland Portugal, which summit - the "Torre" (Tower) - reaches 1993 metres in altitude. Between slopes and lagoons, it offers a multitude of options for the most varied sports activities, both summer and winter. Footpaths and cycle tracks, mountain climbing and canoeing are just some possibilities. Extensive flocks of sheep can be found here in the pasture land, tended by the Serra da Estrela dogs - a breed of stocky dogs that are highly resistant to low temperatures.

Seia Municipality, Guarda District

Sheep’s milk is used to produce the region's most characteristic product -- the renowned Queijo da Serra cheese, that is produced on an artisanal basis following ancestral techniques that use cardosins as a curdling agent. Make sure you try some of this yellow buttery cheese, between two slices of regional bread. If you want to take some with you, you'll find it on sale at any time of the year, although the most varied offer is in the market fairs held in various parts of the region in the months of February and March.

The Serra da Arrábida Natural Park, amidst the deep blue sea and the green of the hills, is an excellent place to test your physical condition. Situated by the sea, the park offers some of the most stunning coastal scenery in the Lisbon area. The highest point is in the Serra do Risco, a magnificent cliff 380m high. Good ways of getting to know this pristine place, featuring pure Mediterranean vegetation, are by hiking or cycling the waymarked footpaths. The Sado Estuary Nature Reserve has other attractions, whether it is the dolphins accompanying your boat trip, or because it is a very special bird observatory, with more than 250 species to be sighted. Moinho de Maré da Mourisca (the Moorish Tidal Mill) is one of the best places to do this.

Santiago do Cacém, Setubal

In Alentejo, Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina Natural Park stands out, forming one of the most well-preserved coastal stretches in Europe. Covering over 100 km, from Porto Covo in the Alentejo, to Burgau in the Algarve. The Park includes various unique species of animal and plant life, and is visited by many zoologists and botanists from all parts of the world. Many bird species can be seen, such as rare fishing eagles. The rarest species is the white stork, given that this is the only place in the world where they build their nests in the seashore rocks. Another rarity is the otter, since this is the only place in Portugal and one of the last places in Europe where it is possible to find otters in a marine habitat. The beaches, are highly popular amongst surfers, and are the finest in the country. There is a tremendous variety of beaches, including long stretches of sand and small beaches nestled between the cliffs and rocks. In the extreme South Western section of the Park make sure to visit the lighthouse in the Cape of São Vicente after whom this stretch of coastline has been named and the nearby Sagres.promontory, that housed the famous nautical school founded by the Infante D. Henrique in the 15th century.

Faro, Faro District

Ria Formosa Natural Park, extends along 60km of labyrinthine canals, marshlands and islands which form a barrier with the sea and provide the Eastern Algarve with a landscape of rare beauty along the Algarve coast, between the beaches of Garrão and Manta Rota. This diversity of eco-systems attracts a varied range of animal life including many bird species such as the purple swamphen, the symbol of the Nature Park. Visitors who would like to admire the elegant plumage of this bird and learn everything about the protected area, should start their visit in the Marim Environmental Education Centre, that will indicate the most appropriate pedestrian trails and observatories where it is possible to spy on the day-to-day activities of the various species. The Park also organises various rides in a traditional boat that was formerly used for tuna fishing. One of the most friendly species that can be found here is the Portuguese water dog. This is a long-haired dog, which helps fishermen in their work, by diving and catching fish caught in the nets. Other traditional activities of the local population living in the estuary area include extraction of salt and gathering of shellfish and bivalves (mussels, oysters, clams, razor etc). These are then used with great skill and art in order to create delicious gastronomical specialities, such as fish soup or razor fish rice, that can be enjoyed calmly in the seaside restaurants.

Ponta Delgada, Azores

Mother Nature has created a land full of natural beauty, ready to be explored, in the blue immensity of the Atlantic Ocean: the Azores. And each of the nine islands has a Natural Park with various protected reserves and areas, where landscapes are at their most pristine, being some of them part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO, and the Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the Azores! Nine islands, nine small worlds that have as many similarities as differences, but where the friendliness of their inhabitants is shared by all. Come visit and discovered them 😉

Santana, Madeira

One of Madeira’s greatest tourist attractions is its exuberant, diverse vegetation, whose combination of the tropical and the Mediterranean produces a patchwork of plants that are rich in shades of green, and of various shapes and sizes. The Madeira Natural Park, classified as a Biogenetic Reserve, and were you can find a unique range of flora and fauna, with some rare species such as the Orquídea da Serra (Mountain Orchid), unique in the world, and also large trees belonging to the Lauraceae family - the Madeira laurel, the bay tree and the Madeira mahogany, as well as shrubs, ferns, moss, lichens and other small plants typical of the Laurissilva forest. The largest tract of the Macaronesian Laurissilva Forest is concentrate.between 700m and 1,300m above sea level in the South of the Island, and at 200m in the North, and was included by UNESCO in its World Heritage list

Ponta Delgada, Azores

This is nature in Portugal, which you can enjoy as a responsible traveller for memorable experiences.