Fragas do Eume Natural Park

This is a place that no visitor to the Ártabro Gulf should miss. The Eume woodland is the last Atlantic old-growth forest left in the Iberian Peninsula. It was declared a National Park in 1997 and it covers approximately 9000 hectares. It was also registered as a Site of Community Importance and it is considered to be one of the best remaining examples of Temperate Atlantic Forests in the continent of Europe.

The fraga is a type of forest that is characterized by its luxuriant growth and by its great biological diversity of both flora and fauna. The park which stretches from Pontedeume to Monfero or A Capela is used by the local population,so apart from forest areas we can also find pastures and cultivated fields. We can also see evidence of the history of the area namely in the monasteries of Monfero and Caaveiro.

The park can be accessed from various points. From Pontedeume it can be reached by climbing the banks of the river Eume until arriving at a point near Caaveiro, (in high season it is necessary to leave the car halfway and continue on foot, by bicycle or using the busses provided). This is the quickest way to access the park, nonetheless the park’s beauty is clearly visible, and there are some wonderful routes to walk once you have reached Caaveiro. The park also may be entered from Monfero or A Capela.