About Peneda-Gerês National Park
History, nature, culture and a territory unlike any other in the Iberian Peninsula
Portugal's only national park
A unique ecosystem in the Iberian Peninsula
Peneda-Gerês National Park was created on 8 May 1971 by Decree-Law 187/71, making it Portugal's first and only national park. Covering 70,246 hectares, it spans the municipalities of Arcos de Valdevez, Melgaço, Montalegre, Ponte da Barca and Terras de Bouro.
The park takes in four main mountain ranges — Serra da Peneda, Serra do Soajo, Serra Amarela and Serra do Gerês — and borders Spain's Baixa Limia-Serra do Xurés Natural Park to the north and east, forming a cross-border ecological corridor of European importance.
It is designated a Council of Europe Biogenetic Reserve and Special Protection Area, and is part of the Natura 2000 network — recognition of its exceptional biodiversity and conservation value on a continental scale.
70 246
Protected hectares
1 545 m
Highest peak (Nevosa)
+800
Plant species
+140
Animal species
5
Municipalities
Timeline
The history of the National Park
From its creation in 1971 to European recognition, Peneda-Gerês National Park has seen more than five decades of conservation, research and care for its unique territory.
1971
1971
Peneda-Gerês National Park created by Decree-Law 187/71 of 8 May — Portugal's first and only national park
1971
1977
1977
Designated a Council of Europe Biogenetic Reserve
1988
1988
Legal protection of the Iberian wolf in Portugal — Law 90/88
1988
1993
1993
Creation, in Galicia, of the Baixa Limia–Serra do Xurés Natural Park, the national park's neighbour
1997
1997
Creation of the Gerês-Xurés Cross-Border Park and inclusion of the Peneda/Gerês site in the Natura 2000 network
1997
1999
1999
Serra do Gerês designated a Special Protection Area (SPA) — Natura 2000 network
2009
2009
UNESCO declares the Gerês-Xurés Transboundary Biosphere Reserve
2009
2012
2012
Creation of ICNF — the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, which takes over management of the park
2021
2021
The National Park's 50th anniversary — celebrations and new conservation projects
2021
Territory
Explore the Park
Peneda-Gerês National Park is a mosaic of granite landscapes shaped by millions of years of erosion. Four main mountain ranges, dozens of watercourses, upland bogs and extensive oak woods form one of the most complete ecosystems in the Iberian Peninsula.
The four mountain ranges
MountainsSerra da Peneda (1,416 m), Serra do Soajo (1,160 m), Serra Amarela (1,359 m) and Serra do Gerês (1,545 m at Nevosa). Hercynian granites sculpted by frost and water over geological ages.
Rivers and reservoirs
RiversThe Lima, Cávado and Homem rivers rise in or flow through the park. The Vilarinho das Furnas, Caniçada and Portela do Homem dams are scenic and historic landmarks — Vilarinho flooded the village of the same name in 1972.
Habitats and biodiversity
EcosystemsOak woods of Quercus robur and Q. pyrenaica, upland bogs, heathland, mountain meadows and riverside woodland form a mosaic of habitats protected under the EU Habitats Directive.
Wildlife & Flora
The Park's iconic species
Peneda-Gerês National Park shelters one of the richest concentrations of biodiversity in the Iberian Peninsula. From apex predators like the Iberian wolf to endemic plants like the Gerês lily, every species tells the story of an ecosystem in balance.
EN
Endangered
VU
Vulnerable
NT
Near Threatened
LC
Least Concern
Conservation status according to the IUCN Red List and the Red Data Book of Portuguese Vertebrates.
EN
Endangered
Iberian Wolf
The ecosystem's apex predator, the Iberian wolf is the park's ultimate symbol. Protected by law since 1988, its presence keeps wild ungulate populations in balance.
Sightings: dusk and night · winter and spring
LC
Least Concern
Roe Deer
The most graceful of the Iberian deer, found in meadows and along woodland edges. Its presence is an indicator of healthy forest ecosystems in the park.
Sightings: dawn and late afternoon · all year
VU
Vulnerable
Garrano Horse
A small native Portuguese breed that lives semi-wild in the mountains. Garranos have been part of the park's landscape and cultural identity since prehistoric times.
Sightings: open upland areas · all year
VU
Vulnerable
Castro Laboreiro Dog
A Portuguese breed from the village of Castro Laboreiro, used for centuries as a livestock guardian dog. Its hardiness and independent temperament are adaptations to the harsh mountain climate.
Closely linked to the park's communal villages
VU
Vulnerable
Gerês Lily
The park's floral emblem and, in Portugal, found only in this territory. It blooms in May and June on upland meadows and slopes, carpeting the mountains in violet.
Flowering: May–June · upland meadows
EN
Endangered
Golden Eagle
The park's largest bird of prey, nesting on the most inaccessible granite cliffs. Its presence signals a healthy ecosystem. Portugal holds one of Europe's southernmost populations.
Sightings: open rocky areas · all year
Culture & Heritage
A landscape of living memory
Peneda-Gerês National Park is not just about nature. It is also a living museum of age-old cultures — communal villages with collective land management, Roman roads, megalithic monuments and transhumance traditions that have stood the test of time.
Communal villages
Pitões das Júnias and Tourém are unique examples of communal social organisation. The collective management of the baldios — common lands — is a centuries-old practice that survives to this day and is recognised as intangible cultural heritage.
Transhumance
Transhumance — the seasonal movement of herds between the valleys and the mountains — has been practised in the park for thousands of years. The brandas and inverneiras, summer and winter villages, bear witness to centuries of itinerant herding.
Geira — Roman Road XVIII
Roman Road XVIII, known as the Geira, crosses the park. Built in the 1st century AD, it linked Bracara Augusta (Braga) to Asturica Augusta (Astorga) and still has original Roman milestones.
Megaliths and dolmens
The park holds a remarkable group of megalithic monuments — dolmens, burial mounds and rock carvings scattered across the mountains — left by the Neolithic and Bronze Age peoples who lived here.
Castles and sanctuaries
Lindoso Castle, Melgaço Castle and the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Peneda — one of the most important in north-west Iberia, inspired by Bom Jesus do Monte — are the territory's historic and spiritual landmarks.
Peneda-Gerês National Park was created on 8 May 1971 by Decree-Law 187/71. It was Portugal's first national park and is still its only one. Its creation followed decades of effort by Portuguese naturalists and conservationists who recognised the exceptional value of this territory.
