Reserva Natural da Serra da Malcata

A protected area located between the Douro and Tagus rivers, southwest of Sabugal. It measures 25 kilometers long and 2.5 kilometers wide, reaching its highest point at 1,000 meters above sea level. It is full of ravines and streams, with the Côa River, the Meimoa Stream, and the Bazágueda Stream originating here. Among the flora, holm oaks and cork oaks, oaks and strawberry trees, leafy hogweed, gorse, sargassum, hazel, wild oak or wild cherry, ancient chestnut trees, and cork oaks stand out. A haven for abundant and diverse wildlife, here you can spot goshawks, montane eagles, hares and partridges, tits, warblers, and nightingales; along one of the streams, you might spot water lizards, water thrushes, or otters. Finally, a highlight is the Iberian lynx, which is on the verge of extinction and was the main reason for the creation of the Nature Reserve.