Tajo International Natural Park
One natural area, many ways to explore it.
One natural area, many ways to explore it.
The Tajo Internacional Natural Park is one of the region’s main attractions. Designated in 2006, it covers 28,602 hectares around the Tagus River and its tributaries, forming a Mediterranean landscape of pastures, forests, scrublands, and riverbanks. It is an area of great natural wealth, where you can find such iconic species as the black stork, the black vulture, the Iberian imperial eagle, the Egyptian vulture, and the otter.
But there’s something important you should know before visiting: a protected natural area isn’t necessarily a specific destination to reach. The Natural Park is part of a vast, open, and inhabited territory that can be explored in many ways and from different vantage points.
You can hike a trail through pastures and forests, go birdwatching in the vast landscapes of the Tagus, visit one of its overlooks, explore the river, or participate in a nature activity. But you can also combine that experience with a visit to a village, explore its heritage, stop by an interpretation center, discover a local tradition, or enjoy the region’s cuisine.
Because in Tajo Internacional, nature and local life are part of the same landscape.
And the Natural Park is just one part of a much larger region. The Biosphere Reserve also includes the Tajo-Tejo International Park, shared between Spain and Portugal; the Sierra de San Pedro Area of Regional Interest; and the Charca de Brozas y Ejido Peri-urban Conservation and Recreation Park. Added to these is an extensive presence of the Natura 2000 Network, with 9 Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPAs) and 14 Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) on the Spanish side.
All of this means there’s no single way to experience Tajo Internacional. You might come looking for nature and end up discovering cultural heritage; start with a trail and continue by visiting a village; spend one day birdwatching and another exploring our culture.
Here, the natural environment isn’t just the place you visit. It’s the territory you’re discovering.