Douro Nature Park in a Discovery, is Wildlife Portugal experience

DOURO NATURE PARK

During Douro Nature Park in a Discovery, we will focus on the area of the Nature Park formed by the canyon of Douro River. It comprises the natural border this river form between Portugal and Spain and also includes the last kilometers of the Águeda river, totaling 85,150 hectares. It is one of the largest rivers in the Iberian Peninsula and, when it enters Portugal, it appears as a deep valley.

THE WILDLIFE OF THE GREAT IBERIAN CANYON

Formed by vertical cliffs, this river cannon extends for 130km within the Nature Park. With these characteristics, it assumes itself as the “Grand Canyon” of the Iberian Peninsula and is one of the wildest areas of southern europe, home to the most important cliff-breeding bird populations. These are mostly formed by vultures (Griffon Vulture, Black Vulture and Egyptian Vulture), Golden Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle and Black Stork.

However, there are also smaller species such as the Peregrine Falcon, the Chough, the Alpine Swift, the Black Wheatear and the Blue Rock Thrush. It is also the habitat of some elusive mammals, like the Iberian Wolf, the Wildcat and the Roe Deer.

BOTANIC VALUES OF DOURO NATURE PARK

The botanical characteristics of the valley bring together an interesting set of plants, some of them endemic from this region of the Iberian Península. Plants like the Anarrhinum duriminium, the Linaria saxatilis, the Erysimum linifolium, the Ornithogalum concinnum or the Linaria aeruginea. Some mediterranean plants are also common in the valley. The Prickly Juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus) or the Nettle Tree (Celtis australis). Among other interesting species we will be discovering along Douro Nature Park in a Discovery.