Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês

Spread across four impressive granite massifs in Portugal’s northernmost reaches, this 703-sq-km park encompasses boulder-strewn peaks, precipitous valleys and lush forests of oak and fragrant pine. It also shelters more than 100 granite villages that, in many ways, have changed little since Portugal’s founding in the 12th century. Established in 1971, Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês – Portugal’s first and only national park – has helped preserve not just a unique set of ecosystems but also an endangered way of life for its human inhabitants.