Park Natural da Arrábida, Portugal

Park Natural da Arrábida - details and images

Rich vegetation is one of the Park's main attractions. In these places there is indeed one of the rare examples of Mediterranean maquis in Portugal, the preservation of which was one of the reasons that led to the consideration of the Arrábide as an authentic international scientific relic. To keep it intact, access to certain areas is only allowed if it is accompanied by a guide indicated by the park's premises. There are also some accredited companies that organize extreme activities such as caving, diving and climbing.

If you want to learn more about fauna and flora, visit the "Oceanográfico Museu", installed in Forte de Nossa Senhora da Arrabida, close to Praia do Portinho. Almost opposite, we see Pedra da Anixa, a small insular island for rich underwater vegetation.

In addition to Serra da Arrabida, the Park includes other high places such as Serra do Risco, where the highest point of the Portuguese mainland coast, magnificent cliffs 380 meters high on the seafront, where you can enjoy an unforgettable view of the Atlantic.

The encounter between sea and mountain gave rise to a series of fine sandy beaches and clear water, as is normally the case only in the Mediterranean, such as Figueirinha, Galapos and Portinho da Arrabida.

The area was chosen by the Franciscan monks who lived in an existing monastery between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, meditating in the isolated chapels scattered on the mountain. In Arrabida you will find the ideal conditions for agriculture and pastoralism, which give life to high-quality products. Among these are the wines, discovered following the Wine Road of the Costa Azul, which leads to the charming town of Azeitão, the place of delicious cheese production.

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