The Schist Villages have been certified by the Starlight Foundation as an International Starlight Tourism Destination thanks to the Dark Sky Schist Villages project. Starlight Destinations have a very low light pollution, allowing visitors to contemplate with utter clearance the most magnificent starry skies.
The first internationally certified Starlight Destination in Portugal was Alqueva, followed by the Schist Villages. This certification is given by Starlight Foundation in cooperation with UNESCO and the World Tourism Organisation. One of the criteria is that starlight destinations have over 50% cloudless nights.
Dark sky observation is as ancestral as Mankind, but there are sadly several spots in the world where we no longer can watch the dark starry sky in all its splendour. This is also a recognition of sustainability being the star leading the way for Tourism!