The municipality of Monchique belongs to the district of Faro, in the Algarve region, with an area of 396,15 km2 and 6.045 inhabitants (in 2011). It’s divided into 3 freguesias (parishes). The municipality has responsibilities on civil protection and the defense of the forest against fires. From the beginning of the 1990s, there is a small heliport in the municipality to host fighting and forest fire first responder’s air assets.