Flora of the Arrabida Hills

The forest-clad, elongated hummock of the Serra da Arrábida is a veritable oasis of natural vegetation amid the suburban sprawl of the Setubal peninsula, with an incredibly diverse wildlife to match. Its scientific value and state of conservation has led to this protected area being included in the European Network of Biogenetic Reserves.

More than 1,000 species of vascular plants have been recorded from the Arrábida natural park (10,821ha; also a reserva biogenética).

Not long after Christmas, hoop-petticoat daffodils (subspecies obesus) are out in force, accompanied by the curious friar’s cowl, Barbary nut and Western Peony Paeonia broteri © Teresa Farino the sand crocus Romulea bulbocodium, to be joined by palmate anemone, rosy garlic, wild tulip and the delicate green and purple bells of Fritillaria lusitanica when spring begins in earnest. March brings a flush of orchids into bloom – champagne, conical, naked man, man and giant, plus the insect-imitating dull, bumble-bee, yellow, mirror and sawfly ophrys – and come April, wild and field gladioli and Spanish irises appear, together with pink butterfly, bug and tongue orchids, while a search among the undergrowth should turn up the less conspicuous violet limodore and two-leaved gennaria.

The sheer south-facing cliffs – accessible only via the trails down to the fishing villages – boast their own peculiar flora, including the diminutive Portuguese endemic crucifers Arabis sadina and Iberis procumbens ssp. microcarpa and more commonplace species such as sad stock, sweet Alison, the Afro-Iberian endemic stonecrop Sedum mucizonia, fringed rue, mallow-leaved bindweed and cut-leaved lavender, with shady nooks hosting Mediterranean selaginella and southern polypody. *

* Font: Iberian Wild Life

Although you can do walking tours on the Arrabida Hills and appreciate these plants, there are certain parts that are closed to the public since they are considered reserves for observation and scientific studies, named Mata do Solitário, Mata do Vidal and Mata Coberta.

* Font: Iberian Wild Life

Medicinal Plants

Ecological and cultural factors influence the selection of medicinal plants in this region. Climate and substrate are the most important ecological factors that influence the distribution and abundance of plants, which are the biological factors that affect medicinal plant selection.

On the Arrabida Natural Park there are several plants used for medicinal purposes.

We invite you spend some of your vacations and holidays time visiting Arrábida Hills. We invite you to visit Setubal and to visit Portugal. Just take your fligth to Faro airport or Lisbon Airport, reserve accomodations,hotel , choose a restaurant and activities and welcome to Portugal Dream Coast.

Watch the video and see the abundance of medicinal plants on the Arrabida Hills: