Peneda-Geres National Park

Peneda-Geres is of particular note because it is the only National Park in existence in Portugal. Founded in 1971, it covers an area of 72,000 hectares and has an extraordinary diversity of climate, envirorunents and scenery, comprising the transition zone between the Mediterranean and Euro-Siberian regions. The Peneda-Gerês National Park is located in the northwest of Portugal, extending through the municipalities of Melgaço, Arcos de Valdevez, Ponte da Barca, Terras de Bouro and Montalegre. The park comprises a ridge of mountains, Peneda, Amarela, and Gerês. These form a barrier between the sea shore plains to its west and the plateaus to the east. The highest peaks are Nevosa (1,545 m) and Altar dos Cabrões (1,538 m) located at the border with Spain, so this mountains continue into Spain where they are known as Xurés. An important feature of the landscape is the constant presence of water. Brooks and waterfalls are common at every mountain slope and the park is crossed by several rivers, namely: Cávado, Lima, Homem, Rabagão, Castro Laboreiro and Arado. There are dams across most of these: Alto Rabagão, Paradela, Caniçada, Vilarinho da Furnas, Lindoso. Probably because the Gerês mountains are a somewhat inhospitable place, where mere survival is hard, the oldest signs of human presence date only from 4000 BC or 3000 BC. Dolmens and other megalithic tombs still stand near Castro Laboreiro and Mourela.