Conservation & Sustainability
An internationally recognised park, protected by decades of commitment
International status
Portugal's most recognised national park
Peneda-Gerês National Park is the protected area in Portugal with the most international recognition. From the United Nations to the Council of Europe, the European Union and European wilderness certification, the park holds a set of designations that place it among the most important in the Iberian Peninsula.
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
Gerês-Xurés · Declared in 2009
Natura 2000 Network
SCI + SPA · Since 1997
PAN Parks
European wilderness certification
IUCN — National Park
Category II · Worldwide recognition
Biogenetic Reserve
Council of Europe · Since 1977
5+
International designations
1971
National Park created
1977
First European recognition
2009
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
Designations in detail
International designations
Each designation represents a different level of recognition and legal protection, from the local scale up to the United Nations framework.
UNESCO — Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB)
Gerês-Xurés Transboundary Biosphere Reserve
Declared by UNESCO in 2009
The Gerês-Xurés Transboundary Biosphere Reserve was declared by UNESCO in 2009 under the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme. It covers Peneda-Gerês National Park (Portugal) and the Baixa Limia-Serra do Xurés Natural Park (Spain), forming one of the largest cross-border ecological corridors in the Iberian Peninsula. The designation recognises the territory as a living laboratory for studying the relationship between people and nature, promoting sustainable development and the conservation of biodiversity.Global scopeUNESCO MAB ↗
European Union — Natura 2000 Network
Site of Community Importance (SCI) and Special Protection Area (SPA)
SCI since 1997 · SPA since 1999
Peneda-Gerês National Park is part of the Natura 2000 network — the world's largest network of protected areas — under a dual designation. As an SCI (Habitats Directive), it protects natural habitats and plant and animal species of Community importance. As an SPA (Birds Directive), it protects wild bird populations. It is one of the sites with the greatest diversity of Annex I habitats of the Habitats Directive in Portugal, including upland bogs, Atlantic oak woods and mountain meadows.European scopeNatura 2000 ↗
PAN Parks Foundation — a WWF-backed initiative
PAN Parks — European Wilderness Certification
One of the few certified European parks
PAN Parks (Protected Area Network) certification recognised European parks that met demanding criteria for wilderness, conservation and sustainable tourism: a wilderness area of at least 10,000 hectares, a sustainable development strategy, responsible visitor management and certification of tour operators. Peneda-Gerês National Park was one of the few European parks to earn this distinction. The network was created with the support of WWF; the PAN Parks foundation ceased operating in 2014, but the certification remains a milestone in the park's recognition.European scope
Council of Europe — European Network of Biogenetic Reserves
Council of Europe Biogenetic Reserve
Since 1977 — one of the first European recognitions
In 1977, just six years after it was created, Peneda-Gerês National Park joined the Council of Europe's European Network of Biogenetic Reserves — one of the first Portuguese territories to receive European conservation recognition. The designation recognises the park's exceptional importance for preserving the genetic heritage of European plant and animal species, notably the Quercus robur oak woods of the Mata da Albergaria.European scopeCouncil of Europe ↗
IUCN — International Union for Conservation of Nature
IUCN Category II — National Park
Recognised by IUCN as a Category II National Park
Peneda-Gerês National Park is recognised by IUCN as a Category II National Park — the international classification for large protected areas with ecosystems relatively unaltered by human activity. IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it, and this classification validates the park's status on a world scale.Global scopeIUCN ↗
Portugal–Spain cooperation
Gerês-Xurés Cross-Border Park
Since 1997 — a Portugal–Spain ecological corridor
Since 1997, Peneda-Gerês National Park and the Baixa Limia-Serra do Xurés Natural Park (Galicia, Spain) have together formed the Gerês-Xurés Cross-Border Park. This ecological corridor is vital for the free movement of species such as the Iberian wolf, which recognises no political borders, and is an Iberian model of international cooperation in nature conservation.Cross-border
Active conservation
Conservation projects
Peneda-Gerês National Park hosts conservation projects of national and European importance, coordinated by ICNF in partnership with universities, NGOs and European bodies.
Iberian Wolf Conservation
Active ICNF · Grupo Lobo · LIFE Programme (EU) · University of LisbonMonitoring and conservation of the Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) in north-west Portugal: GPS tracking of packs, research into predation patterns, mediation of conflicts with shepherds and awareness campaigns.
Garrano — Native Breed
Active ICNF · Local breeders' associationsPreserving the garrano, a native Portuguese horse breed living semi-wild in the park's mountains. Includes population censuses, health monitoring, habitat management and support for traditional breeders.
Protecting the Gerês Lily
Active ICNF · Flora-On · University of Minho · Porto Botanical GardenConservation of the Gerês lily (Iris boissieri), a species endemic to north-west Iberia. Includes population monitoring, protection of flowering habitats, a seed bank and research into the impact of climate change.
ECOPOTENTIAL — Satellite Monitoring
Completed (2015–2019) European Commission (Horizon 2020) · Network of European protected areasA European project that used satellite Earth observation to track how ecosystems change in European protected areas, including Peneda-Gerês — detecting exotic species, land-use changes and the impacts of climate change.
Tackling Invasive Species
Active ICNF · Municipalities · VolunteersControlling and eradicating invasive exotic species — such as silver wattle (Acacia dealbata) — that threaten the native oak woods. Includes volunteer days and restoring degraded habitats with native species.
Rewilding the High Gerês
In development ICNF · Baixa Limia-Serra do Xurés Natural ParkNatural recovery of habitats in the highest areas, where human activity is lowest: increasing wild ungulate populations and strengthening the wolf's natural prey base as an alternative to conflict with livestock farming.
Knowledge & awareness
Environmental education
Environmental education is a central pillar of Peneda-Gerês National Park's mission. From primary school to university research, the park is an open-air classroom.
School Programme
Guided field trips for primary, secondary and university students. Educational routes adapted to each age group, with worksheets and fieldwork activities. Contact the Visitor Centres to book.
Scientific Research
The park works with Portuguese and European universities, such as the University of Minho, UTAD and the University of Lisbon. Research permits are requested from ICNF.
Digital Resources
Species identification guides, maps, videos and species fact sheets available online for teachers and educators.
Interpretation Centres
Exhibitions on the park's geology, wildlife, flora, culture and history at the Caldas do Gerês, Lindoso and Montalegre Visitor Centres.
Volunteering
Environmental volunteering: controlling invasive species, clearing trails and monitoring wildlife. Seasonal sign-ups through ICNF.
Citizen Science & Events
Record your plant and wildlife sightings on platforms such as iNaturalist and follow the seminars, competitions and conservation events promoted by ICNF and the Visitor Centres.
Travel mindfully
Responsible tourism in Gerês
Peneda-Gerês National Park welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Responsible tourism is the only way to ensure that future generations can enjoy this unique territory.
What you can do
Stay on the trails
Leaving the trails damages vegetation, compacts the soil and disturbs wildlife. Waymarked trails are designed to minimise impact.
Leave zero waste
Always carry a bag for your rubbish. Even organic waste, such as fruit peel, alters local ecosystems.
Respect the waterways
Don't use soap or shampoo in rivers and waterfalls, and don't leave waste on the banks. Rivers are home to protected species.
Support the local economy
Choose local accommodation, restaurants and operators. Responsible tourism sustains the communities that have protected this territory for centuries.
Photograph respectfully
Don't approach wildlife to take pictures and don't pick flowers. Commercial photography inside the park requires an ICNF licence.
Respect the natural silence
Keep noise down. Silence is part of the experience and essential for wildlife.
The mindful visitor's pledge
When visiting Peneda-Gerês National Park, I promise to:
- Respect the waymarked trails and the park's signs
- Leave no litter or waste of any kind
- Always keep my pets on a lead
- Not pick, collect or damage wild plants
- Not approach or feed wild animals
- Not light fires outside designated areas
- Respect the peace and quiet of the park
- Only use certified tour operators
- Actively support the local economy and culture
Partner network
Partner organisations
Peneda-Gerês National Park works with a network of leading national and international organisations in conservation, research and sustainable development.
ICNF
Managing bodyInstitute for Nature Conservation and Forests — the public body responsible for managing Peneda-Gerês National Park.
Visit website ↗
Visit website ↗
UNESCO — MAB
Biosphere ReserveMan and the Biosphere Programme. The park has been part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2009, in a cross-border partnership with Spain.
Visit website ↗
Visit website ↗
IUCN
International classificationInternational Union for Conservation of Nature. It sets the global criteria for protected areas and publishes the Red List of Threatened Species.
Visit website ↗
Visit website ↗
PAN Parks
Wilderness certificationA European network of wilderness parks created with the support of WWF, which certified Peneda-Gerês for its conservation and sustainable tourism practices.
WWF
Global conservationWorld Wide Fund for Nature. A founding partner of the PAN Parks initiative and a global reference in the conservation of nature and endangered species.
Visit website ↗
Visit website ↗
Rewilding Europe
RewildingA European organisation that supports rewilding projects and the recovery of natural landscapes across Europe.
Visit website ↗
Visit website ↗
Grupo Lobo
Iberian wolf conservationA Portuguese NGO dedicated to conserving the Iberian wolf and a national reference in research and in mediating conflicts between wolves and livestock farming.
Visit website ↗
Visit website ↗
SPEA
Birds of PortugalPortuguese Society for the Study of Birds. A reference in monitoring protected bird populations, including the golden eagle and the eagle owl.
Visit website ↗
Visit website ↗
Flora-On
Flora of PortugalA collaborative database of the flora of mainland Portugal, with records of the park's plant species, including the Gerês lily.
Visit website ↗
Visit website ↗
Frequently asked questions
Questions about conservation
Straight answers to the most common questions about the conservation status and international designations of Peneda-Gerês National Park.
Yes. Peneda-Gerês National Park is part of the Gerês-Xurés Transboundary Biosphere Reserve, declared by UNESCO in 2009 under the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme. The designation also covers the Baixa Limia-Serra do Xurés Natural Park in Spain, forming one of the largest cross-border ecological corridors in the Iberian Peninsula.
