Notable Trees Trail

The Bussaco Forest is located at an altitude of 549 m, covers an area of 105 ha, and is situated in the Mediterranean Biogeographic Region with a strong Atlantic influence. It is one of the National Forests richest in natural, architectural, and cultural heritage, where we can identify distinct landscape units that include numerous notable specimens. The Arboretum, which occupies about 65% of the forest area, is the result of a strong anthropogenic influence, particularly after the introduction of the first exotic tree by the Carmelites, the Bussaco Cedar, between the late 17th and early 18th centuries. From 1856, when the Bussaco Forest was handed over to the General Forestry Administration, numerous species were introduced from all over the world, namely sequoias, araucarias, eucalypts, pseudotsuga, New Zealand blueberry, green ash, currently notable specimens of the arboretum. Among the numerous springs and lakes, the most famous is the Cold Spring, from which flows the watercourse that runs through the emblematic Fern Valley, named for the many large fern specimens found there.