North Portugal Tourism Guide - Serra da Malcata Nature Reserve

Serra da Malcata Nature Reserve Location

The Serra da Malcata Natural Park runs along the Spanish border south east of Sabugal in the Central region of Portugal. It covers 16,000 hectares of rolling heather-clad hills and oak woodland and contains a range of wildlife although it is most famous for being one of the last remaining strongholds for the Iberian Lynx.

Wildlife in Serra da Malcata

The most important wildlife in the nature reserve is the Iberian Lynx which is a critically endangered species. A joint initiative between Portugal and Spain at Serra da Malcata is trying to ensure its continued survival. Habitat fragmentation, loss of habitat to agriculture and forestry plantations, hunting and a decline in rabbit populations are thought to be some of the contributory factors leading to the animal's endangered status. In recent years there has been a lot of controversy over whether in fact there are lynxes left in the nature reserve or not.

There is a wide range of wildlife within the park including wild cat, fox, Egyptian mongoose, wild boar, beech marten and wolves. For birdwatching you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of black stork, golden eagle, black vulture, rufous-tailed scrub robin or redstart. The reserve has a fantastic array of reptile and amphibian species including ladder snake, Montpellier snake, Schreiber's green lizard, Spanish terrapin, natterjack toad, Iberian toad and Iberian green frog.

The habitats are dominated by heathland clothing the rolling mountains. In the interior of the reserve oak woodland occurs with wet woodland lining the rivers. The rare Strawberry tree also grows in higher elevations.

Serra da Malcata Nature Reserve Information Offices

The main office for Serra da Malcata is in Penamacor. The staff here can advise on the best way to see the reserve and where to go at different times of the year: Rua Dr. Ribeiro Sanches, 60, Apartado 38, 6090 - 587 Penamacor. Tel: 351 277 394 467. Fax: 351 277 394 580.

There is also an Environmental Education Centre at: Centro de Educacao Ambiental da Sra da Graca, 6320 - 052 Aldeia de Sto Antonio. Tel: 351 271 752 825. Fax: 351 271 754 425.

Touring in Serra da Malcata

There are several walking routes within the Serra da Malcata Nature Reserve. A list of walking and driving routes is available from the ICN website, link right. Unfortunately these are only in Portuguese, but you can glean some information even if you don't speak the language to plan your own routes.

Alternatively a booklet from the Nature Reserve offices has details of walks and wildlife.