Geres is situated in the North western part of Portugal, It is a land of dense vegetation and profound historic wealth.
The Peneda-Gerês National Park is located in the northwest of Portugal, extending through the municipalities of Melgaço, Arcos de Valdevez, Ponte da Barca, Terras de Bouro and Montalegre. The park has an area of 702.90 km². 52.75 km² of them are public property, 194.38 km² are private property, and the remaining 455.77 km² are commons.
The park comprises a ridge of mountains, Peneda, Amarela, and Gerês. These form a barrier between the sea shore plains to its west and the plateaus to the east. The highest peaks are Nevosa (1,545 m) and Altar dos Cabrões (1,538 m) located at the border with Spain, so these mountains continue into Spain where they are known as Xurés.
An important feature of the landscape is the constant presence of water. brooks and waterfalls are common at every mountain slope and the park is crossed by several rivers, namely: Cávado, Lima, Homem, Rabagão, Castro Laboreiro and Arado. There are dams across most of these: Alto Rabagão, Paradela, Caniçada, Vilarinho da Furnas and lindoso.
The few tens of villages in the high lands are located near the arable lands. Terraces, built to make better use of these scarce lands, and traditional houses, with granite walls and thatch roofs, shape the landscape with an indelible, yet harmonious, human mark in some of the most isolated villages as Pitões das Júnias and Ermida.
You can find many species of wild animal here in Geres and Terras de Bouro, However, many species found at Gerês, one of their last harbours not only in Portugal but in the whole Iberian Peninsula are Wolves and Golden Eagles, seen as a threat to livestock, were almost eradicated due to hunting. They have been protected by law since the end of the 20th century.
Some other, relatively numerous, wild species include mammals such as Roe deers, Wild boars, otters, wild cats, Beech and pine martins, and squirrels. birds such as Red kites, Common buzzards, Eagle Owls and falcons. reptiles such as vipers, Water snakes, and Schreibers green lizards and amphibians such as newts, salamanders and Disc-tongued frogs.
Worthy of mention are the Garrano pony, a breed of small horse. They mostly live in the wild but, since they are also bred, they have no significant fear of humans and the Barrosão Ox which is still used to this day in agriculture
The Roman Geira, a Roman road, crosses the park. It connected Astorga (Spain), to Braccara Augusta (currently Braga, Portugal). Long stretches of it along the Homem are still preserved, along with some Roman bridges, and numerous mile posts.
The Germanic tribe of the Buri accompanied the Suebi in their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula and establishment in Gallaecia (modern northern Portugal and Galicia). The Buri settled in the region between the rivers Cávado and Homem, in the area know as Terras de Bouro (Land of the Buri).
