Environmental certification has proved to be an important instrument of environmental policy, given the necessary and urgent accountability for environmental problems and the search for solutions.
The municipality of Baião is committed to making our territory an environmentally sustainable destination.
This is where our journey begins. Embracing sustainability is a responsibility for all of us. Join us towards a greener and better future.
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Green School, Green Future
There are numerous threats that imply the mobilization of society. Younger people will inherit a planet where human action on nature and climate will have a huge impact. Issues such as the use of plastic, global warming, deforestation, or (in)sustainability of natural resources are increasingly on the political agenda. Read more In Baião, there are many actions carried out between the municipality and the schools, especially the reforestation initiatives of the mountains or the restocking of rivers. It is important to go further and involve students in the environmental certification process, declaring war on waste, helping to create a green county in the broadest sense of the word. Schools need to become the centre of training and action, helping to transition to a sustainable planet Read less
The example comes from above
An environmentally friendly Green county, a sustainable tourist destination is our ambition. But it is necessary to set an example for all stakeholders. Thus, the commitment to all is to transform the municipality of Baião into an environmentally responsible administrative space. Reducing the consumption of light, water, paper and plastic will be a priority in the coming years. Read more Simple but meaningful actions for the environment, such as switching to LED technology, water points, awareness of digital rather than paper, use of recycled paper and environmentally certified toners in printers or the progressive elimination of Plastic are priorities. It’s a little revolution in the way of working! Read less
Events
Events are one of the structuring elements of the promotion of the territory and that brings thousands of visitors and tourists to Baião annually. The skills of the territory make Baião a destination for mountain biking, rally and motorsport races, or for a unique gastronomy, served with a unique wine and spread by two reference events in the North of Portugal.
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The events are thus strategic for the development of the region. It is important to be certified by working with the local authority to make all events environmentally friendly, certifying them as “Environmentally Responsible” or “Green Event”.
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The Key Stakeholders
Tourism in Baião is growing. The material and intangible heritage that exists in Baião and the desire for the enjoyment of nature is responsible for the dynamism of the sector. But let us not forget the tour operators, especially those in the hotel business, who offer more than 500 beds to tourists from local accommodation to the five-star hotel, or the various restaurants serving excellent cuisine.
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The sector needs to be boosted by providing conditions and incentives to align with the best practices in the world. In the coming years tour operators will be encouraged to make improvements that promote energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.
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The Identity Value of the Territory – Green is the New Destiny // Green as Always
Due to its geographical position and relief features, Baião has remained an area that is barely permeable to the outside and moderately altered even when compared to the rest of the region.
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Positioned between the Douro River and the mountains, it has a remarkable diversity in terms of natural resources and human historical and cultural elements. The relative isolation that has marked it over the centuries and even today has contributed to preserving heritage and ways of life in a harmony between physical and human forms, between material and immaterial or between past and future are the axes that guide the personality of the territory.
Between steep slopes and a vast forest that covers 70% of the territory, na old agricultural tradition, there are precious testimonies of a millennial human presence, in which civilizational layers overlap from prehistory to the present, with marks of practically all historical periods and so many cultural upheavals, legacies of an identity of its own.
The development of tourism, in addition to valuing this image, is anchored in the existing and mobilizable physical and human resources in the territory.
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THE IDENTITY VALUE OF THE TERRITORY
Due to its geographical position and the relief features, Baião has remained an area that is barely permeable to the outside and moderately altered even when compared to the rest of the region.
The sustainable development of tourism is anchored in the unique physical and human resources in our territory.
Cultural & Heritage Aspects
NATURAL LIFE
On the slopes that connect the peak of Marão to the Douro River, marked by valleys “mightily dug”, where some water courses such as those of the Douro, Ovil, and Teixeira, lies one of the greenest counties of the region (70% of forests), with an important geological patrimony and a diversity of fauna and flora and a millennial historic patrimony.
LAND OF FLAVOURS
The gastronomy of Baião is so special that some say that one of the most renowned Portuguese writers, Eça de Queiroz, did not only fall in love with the landscape of this land, but also with the flavours of its traditional dishes when he wrote his novel “The City and the Mountains” in which he makes reference to the magnificent local gastronomy, describing colorfully and tastefully. Nowadays, Baião is a gastronomic reference in the region by the quality and tradition of its endogenous gastronomic process and wine production.
LAND OF CULTURE
The county of Baião exhibits a richness of heritage values, striking panoramas, customs and traditions that enhance and make this region of the country unique.
Important Portuguese writers such as Camilo Castelo Branco, Alves Redol, Agustina Bessa-Luís, Eça de Queiroz and António Mota, often refer to this landscape in their works. The Eça de Queiroz Foundation, the dolmens of Serra da Aboboreira, the monastery of Saint Andrew of Ancede, the enormous religious heritage, the crafts, the small museums and exhibitions centres are important touristic attractions.
ANCIENT LAND
The landscape of Baião is the result of the distinct way in which man occupied and transformed the territory over thousands of years, resulting in a landscape of great cultural value, with a strong historic heritage. The oldest occupation of this territory was in the central plateaus of the mountains of Aboboreira and Castle and date back to recent pre-historic times, which cover a long chronological period of four thousand years (5th to the 1st Millennium B.C.). But there are also historical testimonies from every historical period, form Roman occupation, to medieval times, the Baroque and French invasions.
Baião - Attractions & Parks
Main Attractions
- Douro River
- Tresouras Church
- Ovil River
- Eça de Queiroz Foundation
- Teixeira River
- Rural and Etnographic Museum
- Gastronomy and Wine Fairs
- Ancede Monastery
- Aboboreira Megalithic Complex
- Esmoriz Romanic Bridge
- Nossa Senhora do Bom Despacho Chapel (baroque)
- Municipal Museum
- Autochotonous Oak Forest of Reixela
- Valadares Church (medieval, romanic)
- Baião Hipic Center
- Youth and Sports (Casa de Chavães)
Parks
- Aboboreira Moutain Peak // Protected Area of Aboboreira (in classification)
- Serra do Marão // Marão Mountain Peak (project Geopark)
- Castelo de Matos // Matos Peak
The detailed list of main attractions showcases the diverse array of local heritage that can be explored and experienced on its territory. Further information and details can be viewed on our online tourist guide platform: visitbaiao.pt.
A SUSTAINABLE TOURIST DESTINATION
To affirm tourism as the axis for the economic, social, cultural and environmental development of the entire territory, positioning Baião as a competitive and sustainable tourist destination

ENTITIES INVOLVED
CÂMARA MUNICIPAL DE BAIÃO
Municipality of Baião
EARTHCHECK
GSTC certified body to accredit tourist destinations.