Mata Nacional do Buçaco – protected area in Portugal

Claire — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:16:55 +0000

Mata Nacional do Buçaco (National forest Buçaco) is a protected area in the central part of Portugal. It lies on the slopes of the Buçaco mountains close to the well-known spa Luso. It is located approx. 25 km from historic city of Coimbra and about 40 km from the Atlantic coast. It has a maximum length of 950 meters between the Port of Sula and Port of Coimbra.

Photo published with a kind permission of its author Paulo Heitlinger

On the area of 105 hectares you can find incredible 700 kinds of trees, including giant Mexican cedar, giant ferns, cypress, plane, evergreen oak, cork, etc. Forest Buçaco is surrounded by a wall which is 5750 meters long and 3 meters high.

The climate is mild with few frosts and exceptionally snow. The annual rainfall is about 1500 mm, with 130 days of rain annually. The temperature ranges between 39-40 ºC in summer and 1 °C in winter. The fogs are very frequent and dense here, and less frequently in spring and winter than in summer and autumn.

Mata Nacional do Buçaco is a popular tourist destination – here you can walk through the forest paths, lakes, fountains and chapels. Beautiful is the local hotel Palácio Hotel do Buçaco, which was originally built in 1907 in an exuberant Neo-Manueline style by the royal family as their residence. Next to it lies the cork church.

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Penyal D’ifac – the smallest protected area in Europe | Spain

Claire — Wed, 05 May 2010 02:38:37 +0000

Peñón de Ifach is a rock formation and protected Natural Park situated above the bay of Calpe, in Valencia region. It is also a symbol of this seaside town and also of the whole Costa Blanca. In earlier times, this rock was, thanks to the excellent strategic location, used as a watchtower. Currently, the Peñón de Ifach is a great refuge for many plants and bird species. Unfortunately, due to the large number of tourists an access to this exceptional rock is limited. There is a marked trail leading to the top of the mountain, where you can get in 40 minutes. Peñón de Ifach in offering magnificent views of the surroundings, so it is worth visiting. During nice weather it is even possible to see the island of Ibiza from here.

Photo by admin

In 1987, the rock was declared a nature reserve and the smallest protected area in Europe, because it covers an area of 4,5 square kilometers. There is a number of endemic species of plant and animals such as sea gulls and falcons.

Peñón de Ifach is a distinct visual attraction on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a height of 332 metres.

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Mata Nacional do Buçaco – protected area in Portugal

Penyal D’ifac – the smallest protected area in Europe | Spain