Vouzela is a charming town, located 25 km away from Viseu, that will be the first municipality in the country to hold the international tourism certification "Biosphere Destination". The whole region of Vouzela is deeply rich in terms of nature. The Botanical Reserve of Cambarinho is one of its many natural delights.
Located in the north slope of Caramulo Mountain, the Botanical Reserve of Cambarinho is a magical place, included in the Natura 2000 Network. This botanical reserve covers an area of 24 ha, famous for its great biodiversity and highly valuable natural species.
The oleander (Rhododendron-ponticum, subsp beaticum) is the most important botanical species of Cambarinho reserve. This bush can reach an altitude of 3 meters with beautiful violet flowers and belongs to the Ericaceae (heather) family. It is a rare endemic species of the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula, a true relic of Laurissilva forest, a subtropical humid forest that covered great part of South Europe and North Africa in the Tertiary.
The Cambarinho walking tour is located at the heart of Cambarinho Botanical Reserve. It is a circular walking route, which is 1,4 km long. This deeply diversified tour follows the Cambarinho river stream. An enchanting tour across the impressive oleanders.
The municipality of Vouzela has created the first locally run Natural Park of Vouga Caramulo. In this Park, the combination of vegetation and relief favours the practice of nature sports, such as hiking or mountain biking, as a form of immersion in the territory. At the time of its classification, the forest and woods were dominated by oak trees (Quercus spp.), despite the immense biodiversity that characterises the place. In the Penoita forest, the fusion of native and exotic species confers a singular beauty, and in the Cambarinho stream, is located the largest Portuguese population of oleander (Rhododendron-ponticum spp.), an Iberian endemism of the Laurissilva forest, ex-libris of the municipality, which blooms in May and is dispersed by the water courses.