Global InformationMontesinho Natural Park information
| 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 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.
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]
- ^ 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.