The Montesinho Natural Park (Portuguese: Parque Natural de Montesinho) is a protected area located in the municipalities of Vinhais and Bragança, northeastern Portugal. Sections of the southern slopes of the Serra da Coroa (Sierra de la Culebra) fall within the park.
| Montesinho Natural Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
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| Location | Bragança District, Portugal |
| Coordinates | 41°54′00″N 6°52′9″W / 41.90000°N 6.86917°W |
| Area | 742.25 km2 (286.58 sq mi)[1] |
| Max. elevation | 1,486 m (4,875 ft) |
| Created | August 30, 1979 |
| Administrator | ICNF |
The park contains a wide stretch of land and accommodates around 9,000 people living in 92 charming villages. Spanning from a minimum elevation of 438 meters to a maximum of 1,486 meters at Montesinho, the park presents varied landscapes and awe-inspiring panoramas.[2]
It has a varied avifauna (more than 120 species of breeding birds), including the presence of 70% of terrestrial animal species that occur in Portugal, with emphasis on one of the most important Iberian wolf populations. In 2019 a Cantabrian brown bear was sighted.[3] The ichthyofauna (fish) includes the Northern straight-mouth nase, Luciobarbus bocagei and the brown trout.[1]
Shale dominates the landscape but there are also limestone stains in plateau areas and granite in the Montesinho mountain range.[1] Native trees include Prunus avium, Ulmus minor, Corylus avellana, Malus sylvestris, Quercus pyrenaica, among others. It is the only place in Portugal where Euonymus europaeus can be found naturally.[4]
The government of Portugal maintains a registry and facilitates placement of Cão de Gado Transmontano for flock and wolf protection through its agency, Parque Natural de Montesinho.[5]
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Notes
edit- ^ a b c "Parque Natural de Montesinho". natural.pt. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ "Montesinho Natural Park – Pure Nature at Braganca". Tourola.eu. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
- ^ First brown bear sighting in Portugal in over a century
- ^ "Native trees of Montesinho Natural Park". Flora-On. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ Dohner, Janet Vorwald (December 12, 2007). Livestock Guardians: Using Dogs, Donkeys, and Llamas to Protect Your Herd. North Adams, MA: Storey Books. p. 122. ISBN 9781580176958. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
External links
edit- Travel guide on Montesinho Natural Park
- Birdwatching
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