Guadiana Valley Natural Park
The Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana ( Guadiana Natural Park ) is a 1995 furnished, about 70,000 ha nature reserve in the Portuguese province of Baixo Alentejo. He is in the field of Small Towns Mértola and Serpa, in the resort in the South District of Beja. It will be protected in addition to the ecological treasures of the historic Guadianatals the two cities. The management of the park is located at the Instituto da da Natureza e da Biodiversidade of Conservation, headquarters of the park administration is MERTOLA.
In the north of the park is the Pulo do Lobo, a rapids in the Guadiana falls in narrow cascades over 20 m. Overall, the landscape is dominated by the two main rivers and their tributaries. Here lives the Iberian midwife toad, but also some snake species such as the horned viper and the Lataste, but also some Iberian lynx ( Iberian lynx ) to storks ( the rare, resident here Black Stork), lesser kestrel, (especially to Castro Verde ) Grey consecration and the very rare Bonelli's eagle.
Nevertheless, at least until 2009, hunting in the park was allowed.
Numerous plant species are found here, such as Festuca duriotagana, a Schwingelart, Marsilea batardae, a Kleefarngewächs, Narcissus bulbocodium or Narcissusfernandesii, narcissus species, but also the Blazing butcher's broom or the summer Drehwurz.
The park has around 100 archaeological sites. Insert from the Upper Paleolithic. The settlement Mértola dates back to the period around 1000 BC, Serpa should likewise come from pre-Roman times. The Romans called Mertola Iulia Myrtilis, relics of this era were found mainly at Largo da Câmara. With Serpa were found remains of a Roman villa. From the Moors strongly fortified and economically prosperous country ( dates from this time the art of water Mértola ) Mértola was expanded significantly in the 13th century after the conquest by the Portuguese kingdom, but lost in the 16th century its meaning.
In 1983, excavations brought to light so many finds that two museums were set up for them. 2007 originated in Serpa one of the largest solar plants in Europe (11 MW).
Seven trails from 3.5 to 14 km in length open up parts of the reserve. These are located southwest of MERTOLA.
The average annual temperature in the park is 16.5 ° C, where the extremes between 4.7 ° and 33.8 ° in January vary in August. The wind blows mostly from the northwest, the sunshine duration is up more than 2,800 hours per year.