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If you prefer to steer clear of the towns & cities north & central Portugal has a lot of countryside to offer. Portugal's only National Park lies in the far north and there are a multitude of other natural parks, let alone the gorgeous countryside you'll travel through between towns.
There are several mountain ranges in both north & central Portugal the most striking of which is the Serra da Estrela range & the Peneda-Geres National Park.
Parque Nacional da Peneda-Geres was designated a national park in 1971 to safeguard the wildlife, ancient customs and unique agricultural practices. It's a special place due to its geological formations, wildlife interest and the cultural heritage of the mountain peoples of the area.
The Peneda-Geres National Park is a fantastic wilderness made up of the wilder Serra da Peneda mountain range in the north and the Serra do Geres to the east. This is the only National Park in Portugal although it has many other natural parks. Parque Nacional da Peneda-Geres (PNPG) lines the Spanish border in the north west of Portugal in the Minho region and abuts the Tras-os-Montes region to the east. The Portuguese take their protection role very seriously and there are still many parts of the National Park that have not yet been touched by tourism and indeed not touched much by man at all. The protection extended to this area is not just to protect the important and rare wildlife; it aims to protect the traditional lifestyles and culture of the people of the region as well.
There are three sections to the National Park: the northern section from the Spanish border north of Lamas de Mouro down to Cabreiro; the central section from Soajo to Germil and the southern section from Campo de Geres across to Montalegre in the east.
Montesinho Natural Park stretches for 70,000 hectares from the extreme north east of Portugal abutting the Spanish border across to the north west of Vinhais. Mountain range reach 1,481 metres in altitude. The main access points into the Park are from Braganca along the N103-1 road and Vinhais along the N316 road.
The eastern section of the Park is the only bit that is accessible by public transport. Buses run north from Braganca along the N103-1 to the quiet village of Franca and on to Portelo. Before reaching Portelo you can take a divert to the west to the spectacularly sited Montesinho on the border with Spain. Another regular bus service runs northeast from Braganca to the medieval village of Rio de Onor.
If you have your own transport you can explore the whole park, including the more remote western section, which is crossed by several scenic routes.
From the traditional Montesinho village of Vinhais you can see spectacular panoramic views of the Park. Horse-riding and mountain bike hire can be organised locally.
The Douro Internacional Natural Park stretches for 852 square kilometres Miranda do Douro in the north down to south of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo in the south. It abuts the Spanish border which is marked by the River Douro itself.
This great rocky landscape is home to a wide range of wildlife including an impressive array of birds of prey including Egyptian vultures, griffon vultures, golden eagles, Bonelli's eagles, short-toed eagles, booted eagles, eagle owls and boring old peregrine falcons! No wonder it's heralded as the best place in Portugal to see birds of prey.
Black storks, alpine swifts choughs, wolves and wild cats are some of the other attractions if you can take your eyes of the raptors. Other notable species include the Pyrenean desman, Schreiber's bent-winged bats, Cabrera vole, otters - what a fantastic array of exciting and rare species.
The protected landscape which is contained within Parque Natural do Litoral Norte, means that the sand dunes and cliffs are able to support a range of wildlife.
Walking through the dunes has been made easy by wooden boardwalks in specific areas which also protect the fragile dune wildlife.
Parque Natural do Alvao although formally in the Tras-os-Montes region is easily accessible from towns in the Douro as it lies just 5 kilometres west of Vila Real. It is Portugal's smallest natural park at 7,220 hectares and reaches an altitude of 1,330 metres above sea level. The park is characterised by an extensive granite basin in the upper reaches of the park with schists along the narrow enclosed valleys. This geology gives rise to some spectacular drops and waterfalls such as the Fisgas do Ermelo.
Although pine forestation has clothed many areas in and around the park, the native woodland that still exists in the natural park is very important and includes a range of broadleaved trees including birch, English oak, black oak, holly, bay, chestnut, hazel, wild pear and strawberry tree. Heathers, bilberry, broom and gorses make up the heath communities. Several interesting mammals are found within the park including feral goats, a range of bat species, the Pyrenean desman, a peculiar looking semi-aquatic rodent and occasionally wolves. Bird species found the short-toed eagle, peregrine falcon, chough, water pipit, rufous-tailed Rock thrush, pied flycatcher and bullfinch. The park is also a site for the rare ocellated lizard.
Mata Nacional do Bucaco is 24 kilometres northeast of Coimbra and is a huge attraction in the central Portugal area. The forest covers 105 hectares on the slopes of the Serra do Bucaco. It was traditionally a religious haven hidden away by its three mile long wall.
Today it is another of Portugal's UNESCO World Heritage site - Forest Park of the Discalced Carmelites, Bucaco - and a popular place for picnickers and walkers and those who might want to have a go at identifying the 700 species of tree! Four hundred of which are reputed to be native species. The forest has a series of trails running through it interspersed with chapels, ponds and fountains. Popular trails include the beautiful Vale dos Fetos, the Valley of Ferns and the Via Sacra path that takes you up to the Cruz Alta viewpoint at 545 metres.
Next to Tomar is the Seven Hills National Forest that is open to the public to wander through and is a mix of planted trees and gardens, native woodland and places of interest including parks, historic monuments and of course the Convento de Cristo and the Aqueduct of Pegoes; an impressive aqueduct that was built from 1593 to 1613 to supply water to the monastery. It has 180 arches and is double decker in places. It's best seen just off the Leiria road just over 2 kilometres from town.
Another popular area for walking and the stunning views is the reservoir and hydroelectric dam at Castelo do Bode - a deep wooded river valley though which the River Zezere flows. The reservoir is popular for watersports including water skiing, jet skiing and canoeing.
The Serra da Estrela Natural Park (PNSE)is to the east of the Central region of Portugal. It stretches 55 kilometres from Celorico de Beira in the north down to Vide in the south west, covering 1,000 square kilometres. All land over 1,200 metres is designated protected countryside so camping, lighting fires or picking flowers or plants is all forbidden.
Being such a rugged and wild area the mountains are home to a wealth of wildlife including mountain thrift, great yellow gentian and juniper, all valued for their medicinal properties.
If birdwatching is more your thing look out for black stork, Montagu's harrier, eagle owl, black kite, chough, rock thrush and peregrine falcons. Other more familiar species you're likely to encounter are dipper, pied wagtail and wheatear.
The mountain range is also home to endangered species such as ten species of bats, Iberian rock lizard, Iberian frog and European tree frog.
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.
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.
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 Tejo Internacional Natural Park covers an area of Castelo Branco and Idanha-a-Nova, between the mountains of the Beiras region and the plains of the Alentejo.
Steep sided valleys provide a spectacular natural setting next to the River Tagus and its tributaries (Ponsul, Erges and Aravil), where around 154 bird species breed.
This is an excellent area for birdwatching. You can see colonies of black storks (the Park's symbol), eagles and eagle owls.
The Serra da Lousa mountain range covers over 4,200 hectares with its highest point of 1,202 metres at Alto do Trevim. The underlying rock is dominated by schist which gives rise to a temperate forest habitat over much of the hillsides. Trees and shrubs in the woodlands include holly, laurel, birch, American oak, chestnut, cedar and pine with old coppices of oak around the villages. Cork oak and olive trees are more common on the lower slopes with heathers and gorse dominating the thinner soils on the upper slopes.
The Park stretches south from Porto de Mos covering about two thirds of the Estremenho Limestone Chain, a range of hills with typically sparse vegetation constituting olive trees and shrubs and bright white limestone rocks jutting out. It is one of the most important nesting places of the red billed jackdaw although numbers have fallen in recent years.
Because the geology of the area lends itself to natural cave formations this is a very important area for bats and one of the country's largest colonies roost in the caves here. There are ten species of bat recorded in the Natural Park and is featured on the logo for the park.
The Tejo Estuary is the largest estuary in Portugal and is an internationally important nature reserve and Ramsar site around the rivers Sorraia and Tejo. This is a great area for birdwatching where flocks of waterbirds come to roost and feed as well as other interesting species including greylag geese, flamingo, teal, white stork, little bittern, purple heron, marsh harrier, Montagu s harrier, booted eagle. The Reserve covers 14.560 ha and is important as part of the migration route for a wide range of bird species on their way to West Africa.
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