Continuing our series highlighting Portugal parks (with some excellent information from the Tourist Office), today we'll feature Serra da Estrela National Park.
The Natural Park of Serra da Estrela is the largest in Portugal and also features the highest mountain peaks in mainland Portugal. Both the Rio Mondego and the Rio Zêzere start here and cut through the Natural Park. These are the biggest two rivers that start and end in Portuguese territory. The Park began in 1976 to protect the rural character of the granite villages and its landscape. It lies to the east of the Central region of Portugal and stretches 55 kilometers from Celorico de Beira in the north, down to Vide in the south west, covering 1,000 square kilometers. It has some of the most stunning mountain scenery in Portugal and even has a small skiing resort.The park also contains villages towards to the bottom of its mountain ranges. There's a notable Roman presence and past Arab settlers demonstrate influence on the area with unique irrigation systems and orchards. This diverse history gives travelers the opportunity to purchase region-specific cuisine and crafts.
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