fauna and flora in the middle of the Douro
The village of Castelo has layered history: the old name was Lobazim, inherited from a ninth-century Visigothic villa, and the current place name probably came from a medieval construction on the hill where the Santuário de N.ª Sr.ª da Conceição now stands. It's in this context of a village with long memory that the Parque de Fauna e de Flora de Castelo exists, within a parish of the municipality of Moimenta da Beira, deep in the Beira Alta.
The park is managed by the local authority and works as a neighbourhood facility, aimed at anyone who wants to see animals and vegetation without mounting a full-day expedition. It's not a large-scale zoo with resort infrastructure; it's a place to spend time outdoors in a small village with a 1669 pillory and old houses that are still standing.
Combining the visit with the rest of what Castelo has makes sense. The sanctuary at the top of the hill gives perspective over the inland landscape, and the pillory just beside it is a reminder that this place was once a seat of a concelho, until it was abolished in 1834.
what you'll find
- municipally managed park, village scale
- village with old architecture and a seventeenth-century pillory
- sanctuary at the top of the hill, with views over the Beira Alta
- deep interior atmosphere, far from the usual circuits
