Nature Park of Alvão
| Nature Park of Alvão (Parque Natural do Alvão) | |
| Alvão Nature Park | |
| Nature park (Parque Natural) | |
 The Fisgas de Ermelo situated within the Nature Park of Alvão
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| Official name: Parque Natural do Alvão | |
| Named for: Serra do Alvão | |
| Nickname: Alvão/PNAL | |
| Country |  Portugal |
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| Region | Norte |
| Subregion | Douro, Tâmega |
| District | Vila Real |
| Municipalities | Mondim de Basto, Vila Real |
| Cities | Ermelo, Fervença, Barreiro, Lamas de Olo |
| Landmark | Fisgas de Ermelo |
| Rivers | Rio Olo, Rio Sião, Ribeira do Arnal, Ribeira Fervença, Ribeira de Vale Longo |
| Location | Parque Natural do Alvão |
| - elevation | 381 m (1,250 ft) |
| - coordinates | 41°43′49.22″N 8°9′42.05″W / 41.7303389°N 8.1616806°WCoordinates: 41°43′49.22″N 8°9′42.05″W / 41.7303389°N 8.1616806°W |
| Highest point | Alto do Fojo |
| - location | Serra de Alvão, Vila Marim, Vila Real |
| - elevation | 1,280 m (4,199 ft) |
| - coordinates | 41°20′22.35″N 7°50′7.65″W / 41.3395417°N 7.8354583°W |
| Lowest point | M560 |
| - elevation | 306 m (1,004 ft) |
| - coordinates | 41°21′12.36″N 7°54′14.48″W / 41.3534333°N 7.9040222°W |
| Area | 72.2 km2 (28 sq mi) |
| Biomes | Euro-Siberian, Mediterranean |
| Geology | Schist, Quartzites, Phyllite |
| Orogeny | Varsican |
| Period | Silurian, Devonian |
| Founded | Decree Law 237/83 |
| Date | 8 Junho 1983 |
| Management | Parque Natural do Alvão Headquarters |
| - location | Avenida António Macedo, Sé, Braga |
| Owner | Portuguese Republic |
| For public | Public |
| Easiest access | N304; M560; M1204-1; M1205; M1206; N312-1; M313 |
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Website: www |
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The Nature Park of Alvão (Portuguese: Parque Natural do Alvão) is a protected area founded in 1983, and located in the municipalities of Mondim de Basto and Vila Real, in the Tâmega and Douro Subregions of northern Portugal. Although the smallest of Portugal's nature parks, it extends through 72.2 square kilometres (27.9 sq mi) of mountainous land, populated by approximately 700 locals.
The nature park was created on 8 June 1983 under terms of decree-law 237/83, as a classified nature park.
In order to support the conservation of nature, a resolution of the Council of Ministers (142/97), dated 28 August 1997, integrated Alvão into a broader area of classification under terms of the European Union's Natura 2000 designation: Sítio Alvão-Marão como (Sítio TCON0003 – Alvão-Marão). Under this arrangement community directives, such as those for bird species (79/409/CEE, 2 April) and habitats (92/43/CEE, 21 May) were included within the framework, in order to contribute to the conservation of habitats and species, their respective flora and fauna, considered under threat, within the European Union.
The Nature Park is located in the Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro provinces, in the district Vila Real, divided between the municipalities of Vila Real (parishes of Borbela, Lamas de Olo and Vila Marim) and Mondim de Basto (parishes of Ermelo and Bilhó), occupying an area of 7220 hectares or 72.2 square kilometres (27.9 sq mi).
With an accidented topography, this Nature Park has a maximum vertical peak at Caravelas, 1,339 metres (4,393 ft) above sea level, and the lowest point in Lousa, along the Rio Olo, roughly 260 metres (850 ft) above sea level. There is a difference of approximately 1,079 metres (3,540 ft) points, permitting that allows a division of the park into two zones: a section that corresponds to the a great part of the parish of Lamas de Olo, that includes the elevated points along the Rio Olo watershed; and, a lower area represented by the parish of Ermelo, that includes Ribeira de Fervença and the Olo watershed, marked by the sudden drop associated with the Fisgas waterfall.
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