The Northern Littoral Natural Park ( pt, Parque Natural do Litoral Norte) is one of the thirteen
natural parks of
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a Sovereign state, country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southern Europe, Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes ...
. It encompasses the shores of the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Afr ...
in the
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
of
Esposende
Esposende () is a city and a municipality in Braga District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 34,254, in an area of 95.41 km². The city itself (the parish Esposende, Marinhas e Gandra) had a population of 9,197 in 2001. It gained city ...
. The park was created to preserve the
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, fl ...
s and the wildlife in the area, mainly
birds and
fish
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...
.
The park has the longest and best preserved stretch of Atlantic dunes in northern Portugal. The estuaries of Cávado and Neiva are home to some of the most significant habitats in the park. It has around 240 species of plant. 140 species of birds can be observed in the terrestrial area alone. The estuarine zone is an important area for food and rest during migrations and in winter. It has 19 species and 8 potencial species of mammals.
It is an area of intense agricultural activity, namely in masseiras, also called troughs, cultivated fields dug in the sand next to the dunes until very close to the water table, which thus ensure water and protection from the winds to the crops. This coast is one of the traditional places for gathering ''
sargassum
''Sargassum'' is a genus of brown (class Phaeophyceae) macroalgae (seaweed) in the order Fucales. Numerous species are distributed throughout the temperate and tropical oceans of the world, where they generally inhabit shallow water and coral re ...
'', which was collected in June and dried in the sun. Indeed, the sands of the Minho coast were fertilized thanks to the use of seaweed and pilado (small crustacean), for many years the main fertilizers used. The ''festa dos sargaceiros'' of Apulia, with their typical costumes, is just one of the many festivities that take place here.
References
External links
Information about the park on the Portuguese Nature Conservation Institute website (Portuguese)Page about the park on the Visit Portugal website
Nature parks in Portugal
Nature conservation in Portugal
Geography of Braga District
Tourist attractions in Braga District
Natura 2000 in Portugal
Esposende
{{Europe-protected-area-stub