Environment Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho assured on Friday, August 7, 2026, that Sintra-Cascais Natural Park is a national pearl and faces no risk of losing its protected status. A proposal within the review process for Sintra's municipal master plan had called for the park to be declassified.
Carvalho spoke at the Convento dos Capuchos on the sidelines of an event presenting a new mobile application by Parques de Sintra-Monte da Lua. The application allows visiting tourists to calculate the carbon footprint of their trip.
Carvalho said she had never heard of the proposal to declassify the park until now. She clarified that classifying or declassifying any natural park rests solely with the national government following a formal proposal from the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF).
Government Stance on Park Protection
Carvalho stated there is no intention to make any changes to Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. She described the park as a national jewel for nature restoration, climate shelters, and biodiversity that requires continuous protection.
Carvalho praised past and current leadership teams for preserving the park and expressed confidence that their work would continue. She added that she sees no danger to the park, comparing its importance to Peneda-Gerês National Park.
Addressing urban development, Carvalho acknowledged the national need for housing and administrative simplification. However, she advocated restoring existing degraded homes and building on land that lacks environmental value or flood risks rather than developing protected natural spaces.
Carvalho stated that the government is actively expanding green areas across Portuguese cities. She highlighted funding from the Climate Agency alongside green initiatives supported by local councils and Tourism of Portugal. She noted that rising temperatures will drive demand for nature-based tourism.
Real Estate Concerns and Master Plan Review
Environmental group Finis Terrae - Association for the Protection of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park invited Carvalho to visit the protected area. The group warned of severe real estate predation threatening ecosystems across the park.
In an open letter to the minister, Finis Terrae stated that construction work is already proceeding as if the new Municipal Master Plan (PDM) were already in effect. The group warned this construction is causing irreversible damage to local landscapes.
Finis Terrae pointed to an official municipal document titled Teses - Revisao e Alteracao PDM 2020, authored by a former official involved in Sintra's original 1999 master plan. The document was included in a revision proposal approved by the municipal executive despite votes against from the Socialist Party (PS).
According to Finis Terrae, the municipal document classifies coastal areas including Praia das Macas-Azenhas do Mar, Praia Grande-Praia Pequena, and Azoia-Cabo da Roca as critical sites suitable to make city. The association said the document advocates urban densification, higher compactness ratios, and vertical construction.
Finis Terrae added that the municipal document framed natural park status as an obstacle to municipal action in Sintra and Cascais, explicitly recommending declassification. The association declared that it outright refuses to discuss the extinction of the park.
Municipal Council Response and Regional Reports
Sintra Municipal Council issued a statement defending the revision of the Municipal Master Plan. The council stated the plan provides a strategic opportunity to prepare Sintra for new development while improving local competitiveness, territorial cohesion, and resident quality of life.
In broader regional developments, Sintra Municipal Council also issued an alert regarding inorganic particles spotted on beaches across Sintra, Torres Vedras, Mafra, and Cascais.
Official reports also confirmed the published classification of the Sintra-Cascais Special Area of Conservation.
