The plateau of the Balsemão river is a place where man’s relationship with nature over the years was almost perfect, resulting in an edilic landscape where wild and humanized look alike. On the plateau you can see green meadows, surrounded by walls built in geometrical shape, well maintained riparian corridors, oak forest, as well as the stunning area of peat bog, one of the most important in Portugal. This symbiosis allows the coexistence of a variety of habitats, unique flora and fauna, many of them protected in Portugal and Europe, thus contributing to the site classification of Site of Community Importance (SCI) – Montemuro mountain.
The relationship between man and nature on the plateau is reflected in the presence of important species, possible to observe at Campo Benfeito Biodiversity Station. An example of a species is the rare alcon blue that in order to complete its lifecycle needs a plant, an ant, and a cow. Its caterpillar feeds on the gentian plant, and is “adopted” by an ant that takes care of it, in its nest, during the winter, hatching in the summer of the following year. Gentian depends on the grazing cows that roam the plateau to avenge. Related to these wetlands also arises the mountain arnica, the european tree frog or the iberian emerald lizard. Next to the river Balsemão is also possible to observe the round-leaved sundew, carnivorous plant that feeds on small insects.
Integrated in the network of Aldeias de Portugal®, Campo Benfeito village has a traditional trait of granite, with a valuable architectural and cultural heritage. Here is housed the regional theatre Teatro da Serra do Montemuro and Capuchinhas, craft cooperative that produces pieces of wool, linen and woolen clothing.
