Parque das Dunas, Salvador, Nature reserve in Salvador, Brazil.
Parque das Dunas, also called Parque Ecológico e Horto da Restinga, is a reserve of about 6 million square metres in Salvador, administered by UNIDUNAS and lying within the Lagoas e Dunas do Abaeté environmental protection area. It covers dunes, lagoons and restinga vegetation, with trails, a restinga nursery, classrooms, an auditorium and a researchers' lodging.
The Parque das Dunas was created by Salvador municipal decree 19,093 of 27 November 2008, which declared the area of public interest and implemented the park within the Lagoas e Dunas do Abaeté Environmental Protection Area. In 2014 it became the first conservation area in Salvador to be named an Advanced Post of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. In late 2016 the city annulled an earlier decree expropriating twelve plots, valued at 341.8 million reais.
Guided interpretive trails led by trained guides explain the flora and fauna of the restinga and dune ecosystem along the route. The park also has an auditorium, classrooms, a composting centre, a restinga nursery, a worm farm, a library, a snack bar, a projection room, lodging for researchers, a recreation square and a cultural centre. School groups visit frequently.
The park is open to visitors, and school groups frequently tour it with trained guides who explain the dune, lagoon and restinga ecosystem along interpretive trails. Access is managed by UNIDUNAS, the civil-society organization that administers the reserve, and most of the area is a strict protection zone where only scientific research trails are permitted.
The area contains several permanent lagoons and supports hundreds of plant species along with many rare animal species, including threatened lizards. This biological diversity makes it a valuable site for scientific research.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,813 contributors worldwide.