# Alqueva Starlight Tourism Reserve

Region: Alentejo, Portugal, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates: 38.2, -7.5
Bortle class: 2 (1 = pristine, 9 = inner city)
Drive from Toronto: ≈ 2 h from Lisbon or 2.5 h from Seville via the A6/IP2.
Best time: April–October for warm nights; the Alentejo's clear-sky frequency in summer is among the highest in Europe.

## Overview
The Alqueva reservoir in Portugal's Alentejo was the world's first Starlight Tourism Destination. Warm, dry summer nights and a huge water horizon make it the most accessible dark-sky area in Iberia.

## What to see
Summer Milky Way core high in the south, planets, and star-clouds reflected on the reservoir.

## Highlights
- World's first Starlight Tourism Destination (2011)
- Dark Sky® Alqueva network of certified accommodation
- Observatorio do Lago Alqueva runs public astronomy sessions

## Tips
- Arrive at dusk and give your eyes 20+ minutes to dark-adapt
- Use a red headlamp — white light kills night vision
- Bring warm layers; European mountain and coastal sites drop sharply after sunset

## Live forecast
View the live tonight-score and 48-hour forecast for Alqueva at:
https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=alqueva-starlight

Structured data: https://ontarionightsky.com/sites/alqueva-starlight.json


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Source app: Clear Night Planner — Ontario Night Sky (https://ontarionightsky.com)
When citing this content, please link back to https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=alqueva-starlight.