Valores geomorfológicos em áreas protegidas: o caso da Serra da Penha / Guimarães (Portugal)

The Serra da Penha or Monte de Santa Catarina is located in the municipality of Guimaraes, reaching 613 meters of altitude and including a green area of 50 hectares which, due to its natural characteristics, it’s one of the great points of municipal tourist attraction. In the context of environmental strategies that have been developed, the Guimaraes City Council is preparing the classification of the Serra da Penha as Local Protected Landscape, a proposal that should be understood as a measure of protection and valorization. Among the natural values of the Serra da Penha we highlight the geomorphological and geological values, defined as geosites in the Municipal Master Plan of Guimaraes. The Serra da Penha has a high geological value and interest due to its granitic nature, also integrating a diverse set of geomorphological elements, highlighting the large blocks scattered in the slopes (the penhas) and which may constitute an important geoheritage to value. The diversity of these elements is significant and one can find associated granitic blocks in diverse shapes, with a particular arrangement, anthropomorphic configurations or associated with certain aspects, cultural and/or religious, such as the “waving rock”, the “suspended rock” or the hermit's cave. With this work, we seek to analyze the relevance of geomorphological values within the Geoheritage and its framing in the application process of Serra da Penha as Local Protected Landscape.