
This month discover…
The Route of the King's Forest
It's a real lung of Portugal with an extension of 11.000 ha. There existed a previous forest at the same place, however D. Dinis has proceed with its extension and improvement in order to stop the incoming sands, and he became deeply connected to the forest, to the point they start calling him "The Farmer King" and the forest became known as the "King's Pine Forest". However, other person, much less remembered, should be mentioned: Bernardino Barros Gomes. This forester gave order to the woods dividing it into plots by opening firebreaks and paths. He ordered the construction of the first Watch Towers and new houses for the guards, made studies about sowings and resinous materials, he elaborated, in 1882, the first General Chart of Leiria's forest, he created the technical bookkeeping and installed the first meteorology data gathering post.
Between its paths, and firebreaks we discovered threes of public interests such as stone pines, snake pines or huge eucalyptus. A luxuriant vegetation that is worth to visit by foot or car, or even to enjoy a picnic on one of the several parks.
This pine forest was a source of income to the region and to the country. From here leave many of the wood used to built the Portuguese Caravels at the time of the discoveries, populations grown around it due to the extraction of wood, resin, seeds and other activities, forest guards patrolled the area and controlled the materials that got out of the forest.
We went in search of old guard's houses and climbed the watch towers where we saw the hugeness of this forest.
Let yourself go in this green field and come to know this magnificent King's Pine Forest!
How to go around the King's Pine Forest?
The King's Pine Forest is divided into plots, firebreaks and arrifes allowing the visitor an easy orientation.
Plot: the forest is divided into 342 plots, numbered from East to West and from North to South. These are easily identified, since, these numbers are painted directly onto the pine trees, at the beginning and the end of each plot.
Firebreak: firebreaks are paths that cut through the forest horizontally. In Leiria's woods there are 21 firebreaks starting from north to south and from the letter A through the letter T
Arrife: arrifes are also firebreaks but these ones divide the forest vertically. There are 22 arrifes from east to west numbered from 1 to 22.



Guard House of the Beach

Guard House of the Plot 1

GPS coordinates: 39°52'12,445"N 008°56'47,992"W

Forest Neighbourhood of Mourão


GPS coordinates: 39°51'44,153"N 008°56'12,613"W

House of the 14th Administration

Guard House of Cabeça Louçã

GPS coordinates: 39°49'03,966"N 008°53'44,895"W

Guard House of Pilado

Guard House of Cova do Lobo


GPS coordinates: 39°47'59,890"N 008°55'46,718"W

Guard House of the Sanguinhal

GPS coordinates: 39°47'31,831"N 008°56'04,743"W

Guard House of the L.

GPS coordinates: 39°46'28,981"N 008°56'18,553"W

Guard House of the Gaeiras

Guard House of Garcia
GPS coordinates: 39°47'00,402"N 008°56'12,126"W


Neighbourhood of Guarda Nova

Building of the Forest Administration
Coordinates: 39°45'04,337"N 008°55'50,297"W

Guard House of Sapinha
GPS coordinates: 39°43'51,862"N 008°58'11,222"W



Guard House of Água Formosa
GPS coordinates: 39°50'34,044"N 008°55'04,620"W

Guard House of Tremelgo

GPS coordinates: 39°44’09,598”N 008°57’58,451”W


Chalet of St. Pedro

GPS coordinates: 39°45'27,253"N 009°01'53,397"W

Guard House of St. Pedro

GPS coordinates: 39°45'22,779"N 009°01'44,312"W

Guard House of Six

GPS coordinates: 39°44'33,223"N 008°57' 13,995"W

Guard House of the N.

Forest District of Pedreanes

GPS coordinates: 39°46'00,183"N 008°56'24,551"W

Coordinates: 39º45’59,176”N 008º56’26,587”W

Coordinates: 39º45’58,926”N 008º56’30,509”W' type="text">

Coordinates: 39º45’59,176”N 008º56’26,587”W

Coordinates: 39º45’58,926”N 008º56’30,509”W' type="text">

GPS coordinates: 39°46'00,183"N 008°56'24,551"W

Coordinates: 39º45’59,176”N 008º56’26,587”W

Coordinates: 39º45’58,926”N 008º56’30,509”W

Guard House of the Plot 91


Bridge of Tercenas
GPS coordinates: 39º52’48,703”N 008º57’44,292”W

Lookout Tower of the Hills

Coordinates: 39º45’25,440”N 008º55’55,617”W


Saibreira's Lagoon

Coordinates: 39°49'55,124"N 008°54'46,289"W

Stone Pine of the Plot 52

Lookout Tower of Crastinha

GPS coordinates: 39°49'52,995"N 008°58'15,919"W

Samouco's Fountain
GPS coordinates: 39°49'05,510"N 008°59'32,128"W

"Breasts of the Queen" - Breasts Queen

GPS coordinates: 39°48'33,059"N 008°58'17,845"W



Snake Pine Tree of Pedras Negras

GPS coordinates: 39°46'53,618"N 009°01'00,474"W


The Machine Park
Coordinates: 39°45'48,488"N 008°55'59,69"W

Lookout Tower of Boavista

GPS coordinates: 39°45'33,708"N 008°55'29,886"W

Mark Pombalino and Resin factory
Coordinates: 39°45'00,626"N 008°56'00,161"W

Pines Trees of Praia Velha

GPS coordinates: 39°44'09,598"N 008°57'58,451"W

Lighthouse of Penedo of Saudade
GPS coordinates: 39°45’ 28,249”N 009°01’ 47,237”W

White Well

Fountain of the 20


GPS coordinates: 39°46'22,627"N 009°00'44,922"W

Ponto Novo

GPS coordinates: 39°45'56.362"N 009°00'14.018"W


The King's Dovecote
GPS coordinates: 39°45'29,980"N 008°59'49,970"W

Astronomical Observatory

GPS coordinates: 39°45'07,813"N 009°00'44,295"W

King's Milestone


Lookout Post of Facho

Coordinates: 39° 42'55,452"N 009°00'02,854"W

Springs of Ponte Nova

GPS coordinates: 39°46'04,725"N 009°00'21,425"W ''

GPS coordinates: 39°46'01,783"N 009°00'14,719"W

Remarkable trees of Tremelgo

GPS coordinates: 39°44'34,636"N 008°57'44,837"W

Fonte de S. Pedro

Coordinates: 39° 45'21,182"N 009°01'53,648"W

Statue of King D. Dinis and Queen Isabel

Coordinates: 39°45'24,459"N 009°01'40,797"W

Fountain and Eucalyptus of Tremelgo


GPS coordinates:
Source: 39°44’09,598”N 008°57’58,451”W
Eucalipto 39°44'12,700"N 008°58'01,664"W

Eucalyptus of Ponte Nova


Coordinates: 39°46'01,783"N 009°00'14,719"W

Cypress of the Swamps

Coordinates: 39°47’00,402”N 008°56’12,126”W

Samouco

GPS coordinates: 39°49’05,510”N 008°59’32,128”W

Fountain of the plot 261

Primary Dune

GPS coordinates: 39°51'06,255"N 008°59'02,996"W

Valley of the Fireflies and Fountain of Felicia


GPS coordinates: 39°45'25,515"N 008°59'06,923"W

Fountain of Amieiros

GPS coordinates: 39°45'34,494"N 008°59'27,071"W

Sand Dune

GPS coordinates: 39°48' 47,938"N 008°58' 22,057"W

Pine Grafted

Coordinates: 39° 47'21,514"N 008°57'51,596"W
Sources:
Our tribute to the blog Pinhal do Rei, an authentic encyclopedia about this forest, on wich we have inspired shamesly: http://opinhaldorei.blogspot.pt
Weekly Newspaper Região de Leiria – Extra edition King's Forest, 9 of April, 2015: here