Pimentel, NunoPereira, BrunoSilva, Miguel Reis2025-02-172025-02-172024-031867-2477PURE: 106623505PURE UUID: 813826b8-97f8-45f3-bba1-e8745145c210Scopus: 85185481616http://hdl.handle.net/10362/179198Funding Information: This paper is the result of a collaborative work developed by the AGEO team, namely its President (João Serra) and Technical Staff (the authors and Rute Torres, Inês Cabau, Inês Lucas, Ana Rita Pereira, Inês Marques and Aline Dias). We also thank to the two anonymous reviewers and the Editor-in-Chief for the critical revision of the paper. Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.Geoheritage and geosites have been assessed as part of the work supporting the application of the Oeste Aspiring Geopark, in West Central Portugal, for an UNESCO Global Geopark. The geological framework is presented, describing the regional evolution of the Lusitanian Basin, related to the Mesozoic opening of the North Atlantic, since the Late Triassic until the Late Cretaceous, followed by the Cenozoic inversion of the basin, related to the Alpine orogeny. The overall geodiversity of the territory is described, and the main geological highlights are presented. Within the scope and objectives of a Geopark, the criteria for the definition of geosites are presented and discussed. Geoconservation, geoeducation and geotourism have been considered to define 80 geosites, with different characteristics, purposes, relevance and potential. Six different encompassing themes have been defined, each one with a specific storytelling. Geoconservation issues are also addressed, showing the importance of protection strategies for the geosites at a local scale.4563959engGeodiversityGeoparksGeositesOeste Aspiring GeoparkPortugalGeography, Planning and DevelopmentNature and Landscape ConservationEarth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)journal article10.1007/s12371-024-00935-zhttps://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85185481616