Gescruzeiros

The Lands of the Great Lake had known since early times the passing and setting of populations that have left a rich artistic and cultural patrimony. Of particular interest we distinguish, Monsaraz and Mourão.

The first one is strenghtened in a rocky formation of where you can see a landscape of great natural beauty. Its narrow and paved streets and multiple monuments of which we highlight the tower of the castle and the primitive court building, are enough reason for a visit. In the second, whose origins retrace to century XIII, we stand out the fort that has suffered successive changes, and that shares with the white houses the calm of this place.

The natural heritage that you will be able to discover in the Lands of the Great Lake, result of low human occupation, a subsistense and  very traditional agriculture and of a diversity of landscapes associated to the river Guadiana and its tributaries, that favored the balance of the existing biodiversity.

The Alentejo countryside, one of the biotipes with bigger diversity, works as an atraccion of numerous animal species. Throughout the year, the involving landscape of the Great Lake changes by the rhythm of the vegetative cycle of the plants, particularly the herbaceous ones. In the Spring the field is covered with a green color, a delight for the sight and consolation for the flocks. The flocks of cows, goats and sheep and the poles of black pigs run around the fields that reach their maximum splendor between March and June.

The cork trees and holm oak, the rockroses and furzes they mix the rosemary, the thyme and French lavender, the fields, the olive trees and vegetable gardens, are favorable to the permanence of the birds. Some of them look for the margins and the islands to nest and feed. Among the birds that mark their presence, stand out the Black Stork, the Fishing Eagle, the Royal Eagle, the Black Vulture, the Black Kite, the Grou, the Royal Duck, the Water Hen and the Royal Heron among others certify the adaptation to this new habitat, in a continuous increment of their number and variety.

Regarding the fish, there is a diversity of species that complete the cycle of life in the waters of the Great Lake, like the Barbel, the Saramugo, the Boga of the Guadiana and the Verdemã, as well as other exotic species introduced by man, found excellent conditions of development, of which we point out the Carp, the Pimpão, the Lúcio, the Chinchito, the Gambúsia and the Black Bass, being this last one of particular relevance, for its interest for fishermen and for integrating the rich gastronomy of this region.

Benefiting of the agricultural land abandonment with reduced fertility and of the sprouting of extensive masses of weeds, species as the Wild boar, the Deer and the Gamo have prospered, increasing their population and the respective areas of occupation. Arround the lake and enjoing a particularly diversified habitat, it is possible to evidence the proliferation of the Rabbit, the Hare, the Partridge and the Bobwhite, making the delights of the nature lovers and the hunters.