Bed and breakfast Algarve
Birdwatching in Algarve
Birdwatching in Algarve is an amazing experience. The Algarve is one of the best places in Europe to spot birds. Therefor it is the place to go if you want to have a birdwatching holiday. The different nature parks offer sanctuary to a large variety of bird species. It would be too much to describe all zones that offer amazing birds. We chose therefor, to show our personal favorites.
B&B Cas al Cubo
Birdwatching in Algarve starts at your own terrace. B&B Cas al Cubo offers this great opportunity. The bed and breakfast are situated in a small ecological valley just south of the village Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo in the typical Barrocal area. The Barrocal is the transition zone between the coast and the mountains. It provides habitat for over 50 species of birds and many native animals including Genet, Mongoose, Chameleon, Hares, Rabbits and wild Boar. This area is a temporary wetland in the Winter/Spring months acting as a nursery for different amphibians. At the B&B we have been able to spot and photograph numerous common and unique species over the past 10 years that we have lived here, ranging from Blackbirds and Sparrows to Orioles, Wheatears, Falcons and Owls.
Sapal – Castro Marim
Birdwatching in the Sapal. The Guadiana river flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Vila Real de Santo Antonio. Just before it reaches the sea, it flows through a tidal area around the village of Castro Marim. This low plain is a swampy area, where the tides have a major influence, is called the Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim e Vila Real de Santo Antonio. At high tide, salt water flows into the area and at low tide it retreats. The area consists of ditches, creeks, salines, salt marshes and groves. It is an oasis of peace and tranquility, and a true birds paradise.
More than 200 species through the year, reflect the wealth of the area. Year round, the Castro Marim Salt Pans host a choice of waders, ducks, terns and songbirds.
Ria Formosa
Birdwatching in the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa: wetlands of the Eastern Algarve. This Natural Park of the Ria Formosa is defined by a traditional salt industry. The salt pans between Olhão in the West and Tavira in the East are a true magnet for birdlife. The area is very important for the numerous water birds, specifically the beach nesting ones. Ria Formosa is also very important for large numbers of migrating Passerines during the autumn and spring migration. During the whole year, the water basins are filled with flocks of Flamingos coloring the water in soft pink. On land, Short-toed Treecreepers, the Azure-winged Magpie, Serin, Golden Oriole, Waxbills, Hoopoe, Sardinian Warblers and Nightjars are seen regularly.
Quinta do Ludo
Birdwatching near Quinta do Lago. Ludo Wetlands are undoubtedly one of the richest and most beautiful areas for bird spotting. Located just west of Faro airport, it is our favourite spot for a day of relaxed bird spotting. Quinta do Ludo contains a wide variety of wetland and farmland habitats, as well as some Mediterranean scrubland and woodland. Its brackish and saltwater lagoons are bordered by active saltpans and saltmarshes. Through the year, more then 200 bird species visit in this area. Not just waders and ducks, but also passerines and birds of prey, appear in the Ludo marshes. Several of the species are also breeding in the area. This is the place to look for the Purple Swamp Hen, a species unique to this area.
Arade Estuary and Ria de Alvor
Birdwatching in the Ria de Alvor and Arade Estuary area. This is the most important wetland system in the Western Algarve. Arade wetland is an essential staging area for many wintering and migrant waterbirds. The area consists of a patchwork of different ecological niches, packed together in a relatively small territory. In the south, the terrain is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and dunes. Inland, the estuary is fed by four different streams, feeding the freshwater lagoon and marshes of the Ria Alvor, thus creating salt pans, mudflats, sandbanks and marshy areas.
Castro Verde
Birdwatching Castro Verde, just an hour’s drive away. About 100 km north of the Algarve, the steppe area of Portugal enfolds. We go there at least once every Spring. The Spring Migration is absolutely the best period to visit this area. It takes place during March, April and May and it’s at this time of the year that the place really shines. Insects and wild flowers are abundant and they spray huge splashes of color across the landscape. Reds, blues, yellows and purples all set within a dazzling green. Most important species of the Alentejo include Great Bustard, Little Bustard, Stone Curlew, Montagu’s Harrier, Bonelli’s Eagle, Scops Owl, Purple Swamp Hen, Black-winged Kite, and Azure-winged Magpie and many others.
