the iberian wolf in peneda-gerês national park

The Iberian Wolf in Peneda-Gerês National Park
Jan.-Dec.
THE IBERIAN WOLF IN PENEDA-GERÊS
NATIONAL PARK
Discover the Land, the Myths and the Life of the Iberian Wolf
Programme run by ©PORTUGAL ECOTOURISM - organizing ecotours since 2007
Iberian wolf © rui vasco/grupo lobo
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The Iberian Wolf in Peneda-Gerês National Park
THE IBERIAN WOLF IN
PENEDA-GERÊS NATIONAL PARK
Jan.-Dec.
Our Donation
Programme
Discover the Land, the Myths and the
Life of the Iberian Wolf
GENERAL INFORMATION: 6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS
DATES: January to December
FOCUS: Iberian wolf and pastoral communities in Peneda-Gerês National Park, sociocultural importance of wolves, wolf research and conservation.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Iberian-wolf (Canis lupus signatus)
- Peneda-Gerês National Park
- Cultural dimension of wolves on the Iberian Peninsula
- Meet wolf researchers and learn about conservation
projects
- Meet a shepherd and a Portuguese breed of guard dog
- Ancient wolf traps: “Fojos do lobo”
- 3 guided treks in wolf country
- Grupo Lobo (Wolf Group Association)
PRICE
800 €
SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT
90 €
PRICE INCLUDES
All meals (5 breakfasts, 5 lunches*1 and 5 dinners) and accommodation, day-time snacks,
transportation in an air-conditioned minivan, entrances to monuments when specified,
services of specialized guides and wolf researchers, documentation about the tour, a
PORTUGAL ECOTOURISM® gift, donation for GRUPO LOBO’s conservation projects, donation
for local communities (village inside the Park), free entrance into the Iberian Wolf
Recovery Centre*2, personal accident and liability insurance and applicable taxes.
*1 lunches are taken in local restaurants, and occasionally there might be picnics.
PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE
Flights, travel insurance and personal expenses.
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The Iberian Wolf in Peneda-Gerês National Park
Jan.-Dec.
DEPOSIT (30%)
240 €
GROUP SIZE
5 – 8 participants
[for larger groups please ask us for quotation]
GRADING
Leisure. The (three) treks follow old paths, very
often connecting villages along mountain tracks.
Slopes might occur in mountainous areas, but
these are not difficult. Distances vary from 5.7 km
(3.6 miles) to 10 km (6.2 miles) per day. Grade is
low to moderate.
PGNP © clara espírito-santo
MEETING POINT
Oporto International Airport
MAP – Northern Portugal | Itinerary
INTRODUCTION
This tour focuses on the natural and cultural dimension of the mysterious Iberian wolf
inside the National Park of Peneda-Gerês (PGNP), classified by UNESCO as a Biosphere
Reserve. It is considered among the most outstanding natural attractions of Portugal, due
to the rare and impressive beauty of its landscapes, the variety of animals and plants and
the ecological and ethnographic value preserved within its boundaries.
The Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) is a subspecies of the grey wolf that lives on the
Iberian Peninsula. With a population of 2500 wolves in Spain and only 300 in Portugal,
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The Iberian Wolf in Peneda-Gerês National Park
Jan.-Dec.
this is an endangered subspecies. The species has been protected by law in Portugal since
1988 and it has been the focus of several research projects and conservation efforts.
The PGNP is one of the most important refuges for the Iberian wolf. They inhabit the park
in high densities in the wild. Although there are conflicts with the local communities, due
to the damage wolves cause on livestock, Wolves and Humans have learnt to coexist in this
territory, uneasy and suspicious neighbors for
centuries. This is evidenced by the
ethnographic heritage we are going to explore.
Wolf experts and local inhabitants will tell us
of the real and of the mythical Iberian wolf,
portraying, for example, the Wolf as a creature
possessing healing powers.
The goal of this tour is not wolf watching, but
to give our guests the opportunity to know
Fojo do lobo © clara espírito-santo
what has been done in Portugal for wolf
conservation. We will show you the work
being done by researchers; the way Wolves and Humans have coexisted for thousands of
years; the medieval traps made of stones for hunting wolves (Fojos); the opportunity to
identifying signs of the presence of wolves; and some hidden places of this Park far from
routine touristic routes.
The PGNP is the oldest and only protected area in Portugal classified as a National Park. It
is also the only park of the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain) with the restrictive
distinction of PAN Park, due to its extensive wilderness and natural and cultural richness.
By taking part in this ecotourism programme you are
helping nature conservation, as 3% of the cost is donated to
Grupo Lobo – an organization that works for the protection
of wolf and its ecosystem (http://lobo.fc.ul.pt/).
Our Donation
Programme
You are also helping local communities, as a contribution is given
to a local association that works for the maintenance of the
cultural heritage in a village inside the National Park of PenedaGerês (“Associação Social e Cultural de Paredes do Rio”).
For additional reading please click HERE.
TRANSPORTATION
On all our tours we use very comfortable 9-seat vans with air-conditioning.
OUR GUIDES
On this tour we have a biologist that works as a permanent guide at PORTUGAL
ECOTOURISM® and who provides general information on nature and culture throughout the
tour and handles all the logistics. We also invite two of the country’s foremost wolf
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The Iberian Wolf in Peneda-Gerês National Park
Jan.-Dec.
researchers with expertise on the theme of the programme to serve as second guides on
some days (Dra. Sílvia Ribeiro and Dr. Francisco Álvares).
ACCOMMODATION
Family-run rural houses and inns. Accommodation included in the programme is
comfortable - affording private bath facilities and heating. Rural houses (Casas de Turismo
Rural and Rural Hotels) are generally rustic in construction and offer simple basic services.
Please contact us directly for any special needs or requests.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) are included in the price of the programme. Wine
and soft drinks are also included at meals. Other drinks (e.g. beer, cocktails) are at the
participants’ own expense. If you have special dietary requirements please note them in
the booking form and we will do our best to accommodate your needs. Portugal is famous
for its excellent cuisine and wines. Often throughout the programme we provide picnics
for lunch with the best home-made local products. Our guides live in the region and know
where to find high-quality products.
EQUIPMENT
You will need hiking shoes, a backpack to carry your personal belongings during the
walks, water bottle, hat, sun lotion, sunglasses and rain gear. Since you will be walking on
most days, make sure you travel as light as possible.
ITINERARY
DAY 1
Pick up: Oporto international airport | Transfer and Overnight: Castro Laboreiro
On day 1 of the tour we will meet at the Oporto
international airport and begin by travelling (2h15
driving; 155 km) to the Peneda-Gerês National Park,
where we will be staying for the next five days, to
explore the amazing world of the Iberian wolf in one
of the most beautiful parks of the Iberian Peninsula.
Depending on the time of arrival, we will make a stop
at the Visitor’s Centre in Mezio, where we pick up
additional information about the geological and
cultural heritage of the park. At the end of the day
there will be a presentation about the Iberian wolf in
Portugal and the park: status, biology, ecology, threats
and conservation measures.
Dinner and accommodation in Castro Laboreiro.
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The Iberian Wolf in Peneda-Gerês National Park
Jan.-Dec.
DAY 2
The Rural World in Wolf Land | Overnight: Castro Laboreiro
Peneda-Gerês National Park © clara espirito-santo
Today we will do a 10 km (6.2 miles) walk through a
scenic mountain area where Transhumance still
occurred not long ago. This was a seasonal movement of
people and cattle between their wintertime homes
located in the valleys – Inverneiras – and their
summertime homes, located in settlements at higher
altitudes – Brandas. We will see these settlements and
pass croplands and grasslands used by locals for a
subsistence agriculture. We should see a rare Portuguese
breed of semi-wild horses – Garranos – roaming freely in
these mountains. We will also see old shelters and
corrals used by shepherds to protect themselves from
cold and their herds from attacks from predators like Garrano horse © clara espírito-santo
wolves. On the top of the mountain you will be amazed
by the size of an ancient wolf trap built with stones piled up on V-shaped walls converging
into a well; this was used to catch wolves until middle 20 th century. This cultural legacy
dates from a time when wolves were not a protected species and is unparalleled in other
European regions.
Dinner and accommodation in Castro Laboreiro.
DAY 3
Shepherds and Livestock Guard Dogs; Primitive Forest; Roman Road | Overnight:
Pitões das Júnias - Tourém
Today we leave the high peaks of the mountains and head down to the Homem River
Valley, with natural waterfalls surrounded by a native forest – Mata de Albergaria – which
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The Iberian Wolf in Peneda-Gerês National Park
Jan.-Dec.
is a primitive forest of Portugal containing the most well-preserved oak trees of the
National Park.
The forest is home to a great diversity of
endemic species, and is considered a
Biosphere Reserve of Europe. This area is
home to the most diverse community of the
wolf’s wild prey in the Park: wild boar, roe
deer, red
deer and
Ibex goat.
The trail (8,5 km; 5.3 miles) is rich in history; it follows
an important Roman Road that linked the cities of
Braga (Portugal) and Astorga (Spain) during the
Roman Empire. Today we will also be introduced to a
conservation project of Portuguese breeds of livestock
guard dogs, developed by Grupo Lobo (Drª Sílvia
Ribeiro). The project aims to help livestock breeders in
wolf areas by reducing the damage of predators on
their animals. We will meet a shepherd herding his
livestock guarded by a dog “Cão de Castro Laboreiro”,
donated by this project, and see how this measure
makes a difference in wolf conservation.
Livestock Guard Dog ©
sílvia ribeiro/grupo lobo
Dinner and accommodation in Pitões das Júnias - Tourém.
DAY 4
The Ancient Relationship between Humans and Wolves in Northwest Portugal;
Wolf trap | Overnight: Pitões das Júnias - Tourém
Today we will do a 5,7 km (3.6 miles) walk on a path
through one of the outstanding areas of PenedaGerês National Park, within wolf territory; we will
look for wolf scats and tracks, always with the
possibility
of sighting
wild boar
and
roe
deer. We will visit a Fojo do Lobo, an ancient and
ingenious trap made of granite, used in the past
to hunt wolves, before they became a protected
species. These medieval Fojos are unique to the
Village of Paredes do Rio © clara espírito-santo
northeast region of the Iberian Peninsula.
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The Iberian Wolf in Peneda-Gerês National Park
Jan.-Dec.
In the afternoon we will visit a village with a deep heritage of communitarian and pastoral
lifestyle: community oven, ox house, sawmill and water mills for grinding rye and maize. A
local inhabitant will explain the daily life in the village and tell us stories from old times.
We will listen about the work being done by the local association in maintaining the local
heritage.
Dinner and accommodation in Pitões das Júnias - Tourém.
DAY 5
Wolves as a Symbol and a Myth | Overnight: Pitões das Júnias - Tourém
Today we will hear about wolves from a different perspective. The rural Iberian
communities’ perception of wolves goes
beyond biological characteristics and
behavior. This gives rise to a symbolic and
complex image that translates into a series of
beliefs and rural practices that still persist.
In the morning, we will have the chance to
enjoy the local lifestyle in the picturesque
mountain village of Pitões das Júnias, a small
and thriving community dating from ancient
Village of Pitões das Júnias © clara espirito-santo
times when monks lived in a nearby
medieval monastery,. After a visit to a natural waterfall hidden
in a deep valley we have a picnic with freshly baked rye bread,
heather honey and other delicious local products.
Dr. Francisco Álvares will share information he has collected for
decades of research about the Iberian wolf as a mythical figure,
capable of healing powers. Fairytales and legends are examples
of the cultural heritage that we are going to hear about, but
there will be more surprises.
At the end of the day we see the cattle arriving from the
grasslands at the Mourela plateau – a priority habitat in terms of
conservation, where wild horses (Garranos) still roam freely. At
night, with some luck, we might have the privilege of hearing
one of the most amazing sounds of nature… the howl of the wolf.
Dinner and accommodation in Pitões das Júnias - Tourém.
DAY 6
Return home or extend the trip to other destinations…
Today we return to the airport in Oporto. You may decide to extend your trip and head to
Lisbon or another destination in Portugal.
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The Iberian Wolf in Peneda-Gerês National Park
Jan.-Dec.
*2 We suggest a visit to the Iberian Wolf Recovery Centre (IWRC) in Mafra. The cost of the
tour includes a free entrance into the IWRC. We will be pleased to help with your extended
travel plans. Please feel free to ask.
If you prefer to start your trip in Lisbon before taking this tour, please ask us for more
information and we will do our best to adjust the programme to your preferences.
Contacts:
Clara Espirito-Santo
Office: +351-259 433 146
Mobile: +351-933 237 709
E-mail: clara@portugalecotourism.pt
This programme is organized by PORTUGAL
ECOTOURISM®, a brand of Montes de Encanto®,
a nature tourism company fully licensed (RNAAT
nº 49/2008) by the official Portuguese Tourism
Office, with experience in organizing ecotours
since 2007. The programme includes the
contributions of Grupo Lobo and Dr. Francisco
Álvares.
Our local travel agent partner is Ponto por Ponto
– license RNAVT nº 3645.
This and other ecotourism
www.portugalecotourism.pt .
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