Serving as a transitional area between land and sea, the Ria Formosa is a vast lagoon system that stretches for 60 km along the coast of the eastern Algarve. It covers an area of approximately 18,000 hectares between the Ancão Peninsula in the municipality of Loulé and Manta Rota in the municipality of Vila Real […]
The Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Nature Park stretches along the coast for 100 km, from São Torpes to Burgau. It is one of the best-preserved coastal areas in Europe. In the Algarve, the park encompasses the municipalities of Aljezur and Vila do Bispo. Over a vast period of time, geological evolution has given rise […]
Alongside the River Guadiana between Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António, and covering an area of more than 2,000 hectares, lies a wetland area consisting of marshes, saltpans, inlets and rural areas of schist and red sandstone. It is the oldest nature reserve in Portugal, having been classed as such in 1975. Hugely […]
Extending over an area of 397 hectares, the Protected Local Landscape of Fonte da Benémola, in the inland part of the municipality of Loulé (Querença, Tôr, Benafim) is a place of rare beauty. Located in the heart of the transitional part of the Algarve known as the “barrocal”, this area is crossed by the Menalva […]
In the heart of the transitional area of the Algarve known as the “barrocal”, in the inland part of the municipality of Loulé (Salir, Benafim), rises the rock known as Rocha da Pena, a veritable natural monument with immense geological wealth and biodiversity. Consisting of a steep limestone ridge, it has a plateau that is […]
At a distance of around 10 km from Peniche, the Berlengas Archipelago is a natural haven maintained in a virtually unspoilt state. Constituted by three groups of small islands – Estelas, Farilhões and Berlenga – the zone maintains extensive undergrowth, including unique species such as the Armeria berlegensis and Herniaria berlengiana, whose names indicate their […]
Photo: www.ericeiracamping.com
The Necessidades Tapada dates from 1604 and is located in the parish of Prazeres. In 1742, King João V acquired the surrounding farmland and built a large chapel, a convent and a palace for his own residence. In 1843, King Fernando had the gardens redesigned by Bonard and transformed the vegetable garden into an English-style […]
The Tropical Garden Museum was founded in 1912 in the outer reaches of the Palace of Belém on the initiative of Henry Navel. The aim was to promote the study of the flora found in the former Portuguese colonies. It is currently managed by the Institute for Scientific Research. In these carefully tended gardens, broken […]
With approximately 2 hectares located in Belém, the central feature is a monument to Afonso de Albuquerque, Governor of Portuguese India from 1507 to 1515, by the sculptor Costa Mota, with a neo-Manueline base by the architect Silva Pinto. The layout was remodelled for the occasion of the Portuguese World Exhibition in 1940, resulting in […]
The Eduardo VII Park lies in the Parish of São Sebastião da Pedreira, north from Avenida da Liberdade, and offers panoramic views over the city. Originally known as Parque da Liberdade, the gardens were rechristened with the name of the British King Edward VII on his visit to Lisbon in 1903. Since their earliest times […]
Until the middle of the 20th century, this was the site of the “Fábrica do Gás de Belém” (Belém Gas Works). The remodelling of the zone, with the planting of palm trees as a symbol of the new lands discovered by the Portuguese navigators, took place at the time of “Portuguese World Exhibition” (1940). The […]