Protected Areas

Situated in the Vale do Côa, the Private Protected Area of Faia Brava, a wilderness teeming with wildlife, hosts the nesting sites and feeding grounds of one of the most important centres of rupicolous birds in the Vale do Côa Special Protection Zone. This area also has an important set of protected and very rare habitats in the region, as part of the most extensive cork oak plantations in the Guarda District.

Faia Brava is formed by a series of properties that stretch for a continuous 5 kilometres along the highest escarpment on the River Côa, and covers about 600 hectares in the parishes of Algodres (municipality of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo) and Cidadelhe (in Pinhel). This protected area is owned by ATN (the Transhumance and Nature Association) which aims at preserving, enhancing, studying and disseminating natural and biodiversity values ​​through a model of sustainable management.

To enable you to fully enjoy your visit to Faia Brava, the Transhumance and Nature Association offers guided tours on which you can enjoy the slopes of the River Côa, the largest expanse of cork oaks in the region, the ancient houses and trails and a traditional pigeon loft, as well as birds of prey like the griffin, the golden eagle, the Bonelli's eagle, the Egyptian vulture and the black stork.