The idilic small town of Coruche is about 80km (50 miles) north east of Lisbon. Close to the amazingly rich montado habitat (Mediterranean woodland dominated by cork oak) and alongside a freshwater river, this location offers easy access to investigate and document both.
Visiting Coruche is an experience you will not forget. The town has a lovely relaxed atmosphere. The local landscape is marked by the seasons of the year with intense colour and by the forest and the Lezíria (low lands), fertilised by the nearby river Sorraia. This is a rice, corn and tomato growing country.
The nearby cork oak forests provides renewable and sustainable crop while supporting incredible rich biodiversity which is still being documented (by Ambios Portugal). The concentration of cork oak forests in this area means it supplies about 8% of Portugal’s cork with the factories of Coruche making 5 million cork stoppers per day…