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The purpose of this paper is to analyse the nature-based tourism in the northeast of Portugal from the perspective of demand. Therefore, it was intended to do the online research of the profile of visitors, focusing on their sociodemographic characteristics and primary motivations for visiting and their satisfaction. Empirical research was conducted on a convenience sample of 204 respondents who visited the protected areas within the districts of Vila Real and Bragança in the last 5 years. The research was conducted from April until June 2023 and data were analysed using the statistical software Jamovi 2.2.5, an open statistical software, employing both univariate and multivariate statistical methods. The results show that there are differences in the overall satisfaction between nature tourists and nature day visitors. The results also confirmed differences in the ratings of visit in relation to expectations between nature tourists and nature day visitors. The contribution of this paper is a refined understanding of nature-based visitors in the north-east of Portugal, a region with an extraordinary potential for nature tourism. Academics and destination managers can use the results to attract and retain different market segments at these protected areas in a more sustainably way.