Here we highlight some of the places in Portugal where it is still possible to observe the night sky with good visibility conditions. Portugal is one of the European countries with the highest indexes of light pollution, emitting per capita more than four times the light than in Germany, and the tendency is to increase.
Even inland, the sky visibility is degraded. Several are the causes, especially excess of exterior lightening and lack of regulation.
IA is committed to inverting this tendency and to recover of the night sky, so that most of Portuguese people can, in the near future, benefit again from a starry sky.
Please, be aware that some of these places are not easily accessible, and the accommodation facilities might be limited.
North Region
Bragança District
Serra de Montesinho
Serra da Nogueira
Vale do Tua
Viana do Castelo District
Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês, Porta do Mezio (Arcos de Valdevez)
Centre Region
Coimbra District
Serra do Açor
Guarda District
Castelo Rodrigo
Serra da Malcata
Santarém District
Constância
Coruche
South Region
Évora and Beja Districts
Aljustrel, Messejana
Barrancos, Amareleja and Castelo de Noudar
Monsaraz
Serpa
Portalegre District
Castelo de Vide
Setúbal District
Albufeira da Barragem do Pego do Altar, Santa Susana
Azores Archipelago
Caldeirão do Corvo (Ilha do Corvo)
Ilha das Flores (costa ocidental)
Montanha da Ilha do Pico
Ilha de São Jorge
Ponta do Queimado (Ilha Terceira)
Miradouro da Lagoa do Fogo (Ilha de São Miguel)
Madeira Archipelago
Pico do Areeiro
Fanal
Information gathered with the collaboration of Cédric Pereira, Raul Lima and Nelson Nunes, and members of the Facebook group Astronomia – Portugal.
