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If a walk in the woods does wonders for your mood, here’s one that comes with a certificate to prove it. Portugal’s Buçaco National Forest has just been named the world’s fourth certified ‘healing forest’ by the Germany-based Healing Forest International Certification Office.
The green space joins a very short list that previously included only Benediktinerstift Göttweig in Austria and two forests in Germany, Lahnstein and Bad Nauheim.
Located about an hour and 20 minutes south of Porto in the parish of Luso, the 105-hectare forest is enclosed by a 5km wall and home to more than 250 species of trees and shrubs. This includes exotic specimens brought back by Portuguese sailors during the Age of Discovery, making it one of the finest dendrological collections anywhere in Europe – which is a very fancy way of saying ‘tree-related’.
The forest's roots go back even further than that, as it's been shaped by human hands since the sixth century when monks from the nearby Monastery of Vacariça first began managing the land, with the Discalced Carmelites taking over its care in 1628. It’s even got its own palace, built for the last kings of Portugal.
So what actually separates a ‘healing forest’ from any other pretty patch of woodland? To earn certification, a site needs natural protection from noise and wind, trails of varying difficulty, dedicated areas for therapeutic activities and to meet strict safety and accessibility standards. It’s all overseen by qualified forest therapists trained to run wellness and rehabilitation programmes, rather than just, well, a nice walk.
Gonçalo Breda Marques, president of the Mata do Bussaco Foundation, called the certification, which runs until 2031, a source of ‘global status’ that ‘brings with it great responsibility’. The foundation isn’t stopping there either, as UNESCO World Heritage status is reportedly the next goal on the list.
Fancy more of Portugal's natural side? Here’s Time Out’s guide to the country, from its best beaches to its most underrated corners.
Or find out which six European cities were just named among the world’s most beautiful by locals.
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