Wilderness tourism opportunity in the Faia Brava reserve

October 18, 2013

Associação Transumância e Natureza (ATN) in partnership with Rewilding Europe is excited to launch an opportunity to develop and operate a boutique lodge/camp in the Faia Brava private nature reserve in the heart of Portugal’s Côa River Valley. The picturesque site is fully secured and available on a minimum 15 year leasehold basis.

Easily accessible from either Porto or Madrid, Faia Brava is the first and only private reserve in Portugal. The reserve straddles the wild and beautiful Côa River Valley and boasts in excess of 25 mammal, 180 plant species and 100 bird species crowned by the majestic Golden and Bonelli’s eagles, Egyptian and Griffon vultures, Black stork and Eagle owl.

Culturally the reserve is surrounded by a number of stunning medieval towns, and is a short distance from the world famous Douro wine region and Spain’s dehesa plains, home to some of the world’s oldest cork oaks (where cork is still harvested) and a heartland for jamón ibérico production. Within closer proximity is the UNESCO protected “Côa Valley Archeological Park”, one of the world’s largest outdoor Paleolithic rock carving sites dating back some 35,000 years.

Over the next 10 years ATN and Rewilding Europe, will be investing in wildlife reintroductions and expanding the reserve significantly.

If this opportunity might be of interest we will be pleased to discuss the specifics in more detail – please contact Matthew McLuckie for more information matthew.mcluckie@rewildingeurope.com

We will also be sharing details of further similar opportunities during the coming months in other wild regions of Europe.

Reserva de Faia Brava

Reserva de Faia Brava is an 800 hectare private nature reserve straddling 5 km of Portugal’s dramatic Côa River Valley. Steep canyons, ancient cork oak forests and dehesa plains characterise this region of Western Iberia and distinguish the reserve in a wider European context.

Previously farm land but now Portugal’s first privately owned protected reserve, Faia Brava was established in 2000 by Associação Transumância e Natureza (ATN), who own and manage the property.

Associação Transumância e Natureza

ATN is a Portugal registered environmental NGO who in 2000 purchased and started to extend Faia Brava (an ongoing process) and is the sole owner of the reserve. Its aim is to use Faia Brava as a site for demonstrating sustainable natural resource management focused on ecological restoration, the enhancement of habitats and increasing natural food availability for some of Iberia’s most endangered species. In 2011 ATN signed a partnership agreement with Rewilding Europe initiative.

See here the Call for expressions of interest.

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