Darkish Sky Alqueba Reserve (Supply in Portuguese)Portugal’s reference in astrotourism, the corporate received the Tourism Experiences class on the fifth Tourism Leaders Awards 2026. This score highlights that the area is creating an progressive tourism product.
Positioned within the Alentejo area, darkish sky alkeba It performs a world main position in observing stars, planets, meteors, and even the aurora borealis. The expansion of astrotourism, low ranges of sunshine air pollution, excessive air high quality, and continued efforts to guard the evening sky had been decisive components in successful this award.
of Tourism Leaders Award 2026 Tourism Expertise Class We distinguish between tasks thought-about to be associated to innovation, sustainability and impression on the tourism expertise. On this method, we’re reaffirming the potential of Portugal’s inside in growing progressive tourism tasks that entice vacationers from everywhere in the world.
The surroundings of the Darkish Sky Alqueba Reserve has received dozens of awards lately. In 2025, it received the Award of Excellence on the World Journey Awards, a world award recognizing excellence within the tourism and journey sector.
darkish sky alkeba It was additionally Obtained the world’s first starlight vacationer vacation spot certification. Locations with this certification present glorious situations for the event of astronomical remark and sustainable house tourism.
A lot of the awards received are the results of the work of the reserve. Main astrophotographer Miguel Claromakes use of pictures to document and promote astronomical phenomena and promote scientific and cultural analysis of the evening sky in Arkeva.
In an interview with Euronews, Miguel Claro mentioned the distinction acquired by Darkish Sky Alqueba is necessary in that it helps to uplift the area and lift public consciousness of the significance of defending the evening sky.
“Individuals who go to us, particularly foreigners, connect nice significance to the awards we obtain. For instance, the Starlight Seal assessments high quality. It’s not simply an opinion, however a certification that scientifically proves its high quality,” explains Miguel Claro.
“Astrophotography helps individuals perceive a bit little bit of what they will see at nighttime skies. That is the primary level of contact. I feel that is what awakens the will to go to protected areas, as a result of it touches the innermost a part of us, the a part of us that used to think about what the sky and the universe had been like after we had been younger,” he added.
Astrophotographers say photographing house is a troublesome activity that begins lengthy earlier than the picture is captured. It requires quite a lot of adaptability and the usage of extremely specialised and complicated tools that may cut back noise and extra precisely document phenomena comparable to nebulae and galaxies.
Requested in regards to the picture enhancing course of, Miguel identified that “each picture needs to be processed” and that every shot requires its personal kind of correction to scale back imperfections and guarantee a consequence as true to the phenomenon as potential.
“Portugal has the potential to be a pioneer in lots of tasks.”
Portugal’s place on the map, together with its temperate local weather and countryside, has propelled the nation, and particularly the Alentejo area, to the highest of the world. Reference level for the event of house tourism. It’s because there’s much less mild air pollution and there are lots of clear nights all year long, permitting for higher sky viewing. Alqueba has a median of 286 clear nights per yr with glorious visibility situations.
Regardless of Portugal’s favorable place for the event of house tourism, Portuguese investments on this sector should not at all times fascinating. Miguel Claro factors out that some international locations near Portugal have managed to implement the venture that the Darkish Sky Arqueba workforce conceived greater than a decade in the past, regardless of the much less favorable situations for this exercise, however this has not been potential as a result of inadequate funding.
“With extra assist, Portugal might be a pioneer in lots of tasks. I really feel that funding is growing, however we’d like extra assist,” says the astrophotographer.
Miguel Claro argues that astronomy occupies little or no house within the instructional system and this displays the dearth of literacy on this subject among the many inhabitants. On this regard, he requires additional popularization and training of astronomy so as to make astronomical ideas extra accessible.
Reserves comparable to Darkish Sky Arqueba enhance consciousness about house, particularly amongst younger individuals. At this observatory, you’ll be able to observe phenomena that may solely be seen with the bare eye or with a telescope.
of The world licensed by Starlight spans over 10,000 sq. kilometers The Nice Lake Alqueva space consists of 11 Portuguese municipalities and neighboring Spanish municipalities: Alandroal, Barrancos, Estremoz, Moura, Moura, Redondo, Reguengos de Monsaras, Portel, Évora, Mertola, and Serpa.
