Peneda Gerês National Park

What is the Peneda Gerês National Park?

Created in 1971, as its name suggests, the Peneda Gerês National Park is a natural park with a protected area, which has a vast mountainous region, rich in biodiversity, namely fauna and flora, rich in customs and traditions, and with well-preserved prehistoric records, also home to the majestic Iberian Wolf.

Where is it located?

With a total area of 70,290 hectares, the Peneda Gerês National Park is located in the north of Portugal, close to the border with neighboring Spain, and is divided into 5 municipalities:

Arcos de Valdevez
Melgaço
Montalegre
Ponte da Barca
Terras de Bouro

What is the origin of the name "Peneda Gerês National Park"?

The designation "National" is nothing more than a title, which gives the park an international expression, thus being one of its seals alluding to its wealth in multiple aspects.

The name "Peneda Gerês" derives from its geographical layout, in which the park is shaped like a horseshoe and the mountains at its ends are Peneda Mountain and the Gerês Mountain. Therefore, the aim was to contextualize its area.

However, the Peneda Gerês National Park is made up of 4 mountains, all of which are very important:

Peneda Mountain (Melgaço - Arcos de Valdevez)
Soajo Mountain (Arcos de Valdevez)
Amarela Mountain (Ponte da Barca - Terras de Bouro)
Gerês Mountain (Terras de Bouro - Montalegre)

Peneda Gerês National Park and the World

In addition to representing a green Portugal throughout the world, this protected area has also formed, since 1997, together with the Spanish Natural Park of Baixa Limia - Serra do Xurés, the Gerês-Xurés Transfrontier Park, part of the World Biosphere Reserve decreed by UNESCO (an essential element for life).

It is one of the greatest natural tourist attractions in Portugal, due to its rare and impressive scenic beauty and ecological and ethnographic value and the variety of fauna and flora.

The symbol of the Peneda Gerês National Park

The Peneda Gerês National Park is very rich in biodiversity, with several wild animals of different sizes and colors, however, the Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) was the symbol chosen to represent this park, as can be seen in the logo.

Peneda Gerês National Park and Tourism

Visiting the wonderful Peneda Gerês National Park will undoubtedly be one of the best and unforgettable choices you can make in your life.

In addition to a strong connection with nature, in this park you can find tourist activities such as buggy tours, 4x4 motorbike tours, trails and trekking, guided tours, rafting, tree climbing, and much more...