Considered by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve, it is one of the greatest natural attractions of Portugal, due to the rare and stunning natural beauty, the ecological and ethnographic value and variety of fauna and flora.

The Peneda-Gerês National Park is located northeast of Minho and extends to Trás-os-Montes, from the lands of the Sierra of Peneda to Sierra of Gerês, being crossed by two major rivers, the Lima and the Cávado. It covers the districts of Braga (Terras do Bouro), Viana do Castelo (Melgaço, Arcos de Valdevez and Ponte da Barca) and Vila Real (Montalegre) in a total area of about 69.596 hectares. It also borders Galicia (Spain).

In the park are two important centers of pilgrimage, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Peneda, replica of the Sanctuary of Good Jesus of Braga, and St. Benedict of the Open Door, place of great popular devotion. It also includes sections of roman road that linked Braga with Astorga, known as Geira.

This protected area still form a set with the Natural Park of Baixa Limia - Serra do Xurés, forming, since 1997, the Gerês-Xurés Transfrontier Park and the Biosphere Reserve with the same name.