| Serra da Estrela Natural Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
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| Location | Central Region, Portugal |
| Coordinates | 40°24′21″N 7°32′15″W / 40.40583°N 7.53750°W |
| Area | 891.32 km2 (344.14 sq mi)[1] |
| Max. elevation | 1,991 m (6,532 ft) |
| Min. elevation | 291 m (955 ft) |
| Established | July 16, 1976 |
| Visitors | 7,596 (in 2017-2020 (average))[2] |
| Governing body | ICNF |
| Official name | Estrela Mountain upper Plateau and upper Zêzere River |
| Designated | 2 December 2005 |
| Reference no. | 1614[3] |
Serra da Estrela Natural Park or Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela is a nature reserve in the largest mountain range in Portugal - the Serra da Estrela – and is the source of the rivers Mondego, Zêzere (tributary of the Tagus), and Alva. The park is the largest natural conservation area in Portugal and occupies about 1,000 km2. More than half of its area is located above an altitude of 700 m. At 1,993 m it contains the highest peak in Continental Portugal (named Torre) and a ski resort (named Vodafone Ski Resort).
During the Quaternary period, the entre region was subjected to the action of ice and once this disappeared visible marks were left on the landscape. Valleys in the shape of horseshoes, ravines, polished rocks and lakes of glacial origin are just some of the formations that demonstrate the importance of the ice and snow in modelling the mountains.
- ^ "Serra da Estrela | DOPA Explorer". dopa-explorer.jrc.ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ "Número de visitantes que contactaram as áreas protegidas". ICNF. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ "Estrela Mountain upper Plateau and upper Zêzere River". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.