The Cresmina

Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

extends over 66 hectares and is a part of the Guincho-Oitavos dune system, located on the edge of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park near

Cascais Cascais () is a town and municipality in the Lisbon District of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The municipality has a total of 214,158 inhabitants in an area of 97.40 km2. Cascais is an important tourist destination. Its marin ...

in Portugal. This dune system is considered fairly unique because, as a result of the prevailing northwest winds, the sand from the Guincho and Cresmina beaches eventually returns to the sea 5 km further to the south near Guia, after migrating over the flat, rocky and largely uninhabited area of Cabo Raso.

Features

The Guincho-Cresmina dunes are an unstable system due to the constant drifting of sand particles caused by strong winds. The existence of barriers to movement, such as restaurants and hotels, which narrowed the sand transportation corridors between beaches and dunes, and the tendency of the wind speed to be increasing, led to increased deposits of sediments in areas further away from the coastline, with a consequent reduction in the beach area and potential damage to neighbouring land and homes. Studies show that the Cresmina dune is advancing in a north-south direction by about 10 m per year.

Fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is '' flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. ...

that find a home on the Cresmina Dune include ''Acanthodactylus erythrurus'' (Spiny-footed lizard), the White wagtail (''Motacilla alba''), the

Sanderling The sanderling (''Calidris alba'') is a small wading bird. The name derives from Old English ''sand-yrðling'', "sand-ploughman". The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''kalidris'' or ''skalidris'', a term used by Aristotle for some grey-colou ...

(''Calidris alba''), the

Common ringed plover The common ringed plover or ringed plover (''Charadrius hiaticula'') is a small plover that breeds in Arctic Eurasia. The genus name ''Charadrius'' is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from ...

(''Charadrius hiaticula''), and '' Vipera latastei'' (Lataste's Viper). GuinchoSand

Rehabilitation

Within the framework of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park Visitation and Interpretation Network, the municipality of

has been working since 2011 to rehabilitate dunes, in partnership with the Portuguese

Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests The Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests ( Portuguese: ''Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas, I.P.''), ICNF, is the responsible governmental body for the nature and forest policies, including the management of Protected ...

. The work aims at providing maximum protection for the dunes by controlling pedestrian access and enabling local fauna and flora to recover from past damage caused by dogs, walkers, horse riders and cross-country vehicles. The dunes are now fully fenced. The work has also included the installation of natural regenerators, made using

palisade A palisade, sometimes called a stakewall or a paling, is typically a fence or defensive wall made from iron or wooden stakes, or tree trunks, and used as a defensive structure or enclosure. Palisades can form a stockade. Etymology ''Palisade ...

s of dead plant material. The placement of these structures is crucial to reduce the wind speed and thus contain the advance of the sand. CresminaDunes10

The Cresmina Dune Interpretation Centre provides informative panels on the walls of a refreshment bar. It aims to inform visitors of the unique fauna and flora associated with the Guincho-Cresmina dune system. Raised wooden walkways were installed to prevent people walking in the dunes. They are of close to 2 km in length and enable visitors to see native plants that are only found in the area, together with the fauna and flora that form a delicate ecological balance with the dunes. Some damage was caused to the northern part of the walkway as a result of a forest fire in the Sintra-Cascais Park that burned over 600 hectares on 6 October 2018 but it was speedily repaired. Local vegetation recovery actions have also been implemented, namely through the removal of invasive species, such as the weeping ''

Carpobrotus edulis ''Carpobrotus edulis'' is a ground-creeping plant with succulent leaves in the genus ''Carpobrotus'', native to South Africa. Its common names include hottentot-fig, sour fig, ice plant or highway ice plant. Description ''Carpobrotus edulis'' ...

'', together with the planting of native species such as '' Ammophila arenaria'' (European Marram Grass), ''

Armeria welwitschii ''Armeria welwitschii'' is a species of flowering plant in the thrift family (Plumbaginaceae), endemic to central coastal Portugal. It is often cultivated as an ornamental in rock gardens. Description ''Armeria welwitschii'' is a perennial eve ...

'' (thrift), ''

Juniperus turbinata ''Juniperus turbinata'' is a woody plant in the family Cupressaceae. The species was previously treated as part of ''Juniperus phoenicea'', which is now regarded as restricted to Spain and France, whereas ''J. turbinata'' is found from Maca ...

'' (beach sabina), '' Pancratium maritimum'', (sea daffodil) and '' Ononis ramosissima''. CresminaDunes8

References

{{reflist Dunes of Portugal Nature conservation in Portugal Nature parks in Portugal Protected areas established in 2011 Geography of Lisbon District Tourist attractions in Lisbon District Cascais