Serra da Estrela Natural Park
The Serra da Estrela Natural Park (PNSE) is located in the interior of Portugal essentially in the district of Guarda (85%) and also in the district of Castelo Branco (15%). Marked by granite, shale and schist rock massifs and vestiges of ancient glaciers, the high altitude and location of the natural park make it one of the places in mainland Portugal with the highest occurrence of rain, snow, hail and dew.
Unlike the other Serras de Portugal, such as Penêda-Gerês, where the effects of glaciation have generated controversy for decades, the Serra da Estrela glacier shows a clear glacial geo-heritage, of high pedagogical and scientific significance. For example, the notable U-shaped Zêzere valley (GF32) has often been cited in national and international scientific publications and is an example of a glacial valley.
The glaciation style of Estrela is the result of its geographical location on the west bank of the Iberian Peninsula, being the first mountain to affect the interior movement of the moist Atlantic air masses, but also the plateau altitude between 1400 and 2000 m, range altitude, just above the altitude of the 1650 m paleoequilibrium (ELA) line
This plateau during the Serra da Estrela Glaciation, would have had a small permanent cover of snow, or ice but without movement. It would be an area with less snowfall, with strong winds from the West and Northwest. The so-called Nave de Santo An...
This plateau during the Serra da Estrela Glaciation, would have had a small permanent cover of snow, or ice but without movement. It would be an area with less snowfall, with strong winds from the West and Northwest. The so-called Nave de Santo An...
On the southern slope of Cântaro Magro, there is a very fractured sector filled by a dolerite vein, a rock of mineralogical composition close to basalt. This vein, very affected by the change of chemical origin and less resistant to erosion than t...
On the southern slope of Cântaro Magro, there is a very fractured sector filled by a dolerite vein, a rock of mineralogical composition close to basalt. This vein, very affected by the change of chemical origin and less resistant to erosion than t...
Glacier valley whose head meets the Zêzere Valley, and presents glacial circuses and small lagoons, which fill the covões along this valley. At the confluence with the Zêzere Valley, the Candieira stream turns into a waterfall, showing the charact...
In the portela, next to the crossing to Unhais da Serra, there is an interesting cut in the side moray of the Alforfa glacier. It is one of the best preserved in Serra da Estrela. It is a crest with steep slopes, about 4 meters high, in a directio...
The Zêzere valley is a perfect example of the strength of glaciers to sculpt landscapes. With a 10 km long U-shaped cross-section between Covão da Ametade and the town of Manteigas, the valley has a succession of covons, glacier bolts and suspende...
The Nave da Mestra presents us with a very peculiar magic and going back to its history it is said that the house built in the Nave had been ordered by Judge Dr. Matos as a refuge for his cure of tuberculosis.
Lagoa do Covão dos Curral is part of the complex of dams at Sabugueiro power plant, producing electricity from EDP in Serra da Estrela, together with the dams of Vale do Rossim, Covão da Penhas Douradas, Covão da Erva da Fome, Covão from Vale do C...
Glacier valley, consisting of four depressions (covões) excavated by the ice and located in step. They were former glacier lakes, now covered and covered by cervunais.
To the north and south of Covão Cimeiro are the Gordo and Magro "Cantaros", two massive rocky elevations and vertical escarpments, whose tops emerged from the glacier in the last glaciation. The groove in the valleys was essentially controlled by ...
Glacier valley, consisting of four depressions (covões) excavated by the ice and located in step. They were former glacier lakes, now covered and covered by cervunais. Covão do Meio 1650m The people of Loriga have always used water from these lag...
Lagoa Comprida, was an old glacier lake with 1km of extension. Taking advantage of the covão, the construction of the dam began in 1912. In 1914, it had a height of 6 meters and in 1934 it reached 15 meters. It currently has a height of 28 meters,...
Lagoa Comprida, was an old glacier lake with 1km of extension. Taking advantage of the covão, the construction of the dam began in 1912. In 1914, it had a height of 6 meters and in 1934 it reached 15 meters. It currently has a height of 28 meters,...
On this flat surface, very humid and favorable to snowfall, a period of ice known as the Upper Plistocene (2 million to 20,000 years ago) developed between the Torre plateau and the Curral Matins area and Vale do Conde to the north. This cap, abou...
