Valley

A special Area for Rewilding and Biodiversity

Generations of ancestors have settled in this valley for its healing spring water and fertile lands. This is a landscape of terraced gardens and forests with a history of inhabitants for at least 10,000 years – from the Lusitani who built the megalithic temple of Fraga da Pena, to the Romans, the Moors, and the modern era.

The Vale das Lobas program is transforming the valley into a Biodiversity Park, a special area for biodiversity, rewilding and nature discovery. With minimum intervention and maximum protection, nature is regenerating and rebalancing herself. The best indicators of ecological regeneration are improving soil quality and increasing biodiversity. Recovering biodiversity leads to more birds, insects, wild animals, an increasing range of plant life, and the soil becoming richer in micro-organisms, providing the basis for entire eco-system recovery.

The Biodiversity Park is a community based initiative, involving local municipalities, landowners, and local, national and international organisations, including Rewilding Europe.

Vale das Lobas

The wolf represents the realm of instinct and is a powerful symbol of the wild.

Rich Agricultural Tradition

The heart of the valley is rich in ancient olives, chestnut forest, oak and cork trees, and surrounded by rugged granite outcrops and hillsides. Once home to native wild forests, and a patchwork of subsistence farming, now almost entirely abandoned, and recently razed by fires.

Chestnut Forest

The chestnut forest of 15 hectares was first planted over 3 centuries ago. In the last fifty years these ancient trees recovered from two wildfires with impressive vitality. Now this majestic ancient forest is a natural coppice, with a mix of new and dead stands, and a burgeoning biodiversity.

Muxagata River

Pure and clear water from the Muxagata river is nourishing and cleansing the land. The river springs up in the valley and runs over a stretch of 12 km before flowing into the Mondego river. In the past the energy of the streaming water was powering several mills for crushing grains and olives.

Biodiversity

The valley is home to a wide variety of species, including frogs, toads, snakes, river turtles, genets, wild boar, badgers, foxes, and a multitude of bird species, including owls, falcons, eagles, nightjars, cuckoos, woodpeckers and bee-eaters.