The Serra da Estrela presents itself as a monolíto visibly highlighted the land lower than the surrounding. Its strands fall sharply on the Cova da Beira and the Mondego valley.

The river, in his university, divide it into two branches: one dominates the basin of Celorico; the other, dies in the promontory on which the Guard. The west, the granite becomes shale, giving rise to the heights of boleados Açor. Throughout the party are visible traces of the last glaciação: blocks erratic, depressions, moreias, lakes and glaciár valleys as Zêzere and Alforfa.

The foothills of the mountain, Mediterranean influence, is the subject of intense cultural use, the intermediate floor, field of oak negral, has spots of a pair of brown giestais, urgueirais, piornais and sargaçais besides populations of maritime pine and other exotic species ; appear in the upper floor zimbrais, cervunais and arrelevados and plant communities rupícolas and lake.

The fauna of Serra da Estrela presents itself today depleted; between species present must cite to Lagartixa-de-mountain, in its sole habitat on the continent Portuguese.

The human settlement is scarce; only Manteigas, the couples of Folgosinho and Penhas - Douradas and Health - a presence testify human constant, everything else is peripheral. As you earn altitude, the crops yield the most meticulous way to one or another field of rye and pastures. Lobos, flocks and shepherds as the outbreak of the textile industry around the mountain are already past history.