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Portugal - Summer Wildlife of Serra da Estrela
Tour Code: PRT15A 6-day holiday enjoying the flowers, butterflies, birds and scenery of north Portugal's mountain region.
£1,795 (Inc flights)
£1,495
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
The Serra da Estrela is continental Portugal’s highest mountain range, forming the western tip of the central system of mountains which run laterally across the north-central regions of the Iberian Peninsula. The area is also home to the country’s largest natural conservation area. This spectacular region supports a rich alpine flora, a wealth of butterflies and an enticing selection of birds. There are three distinct levels to the Serra da Estrela, determined by altitude. At lower regions, Oak and Beech woodlands dominate. Here, Honey Buzzard, Goshawk, Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Firecrest, Pied Flycatcher, Crested Tit and Crossbill are all possible. The Juniper-covered slopes and beautiful mountain lakes above begin to show signs of more specialist alpine flora and fauna, with breeding Crag Martins, Rock and Ortolan Buntings present, alongside the impressive Marbled Newt. Higher still, habitats transition into open pasture, granite-strewn plateau and jagged peaks rising up to 2,000 metres. Here, the really special plants and flowers may be found, alongside a plethora of attendant butterfly and insect-life. The region supports many scarce and endemic plant species, amongst them Marsh Gentian, the endemic Teucrium salviastrum, Campanula herminii, Silene foetida and, in the wetter areas, St. Patrick’s Cabbage and the sundew, Drosera rotundifolia. Sooty Copper, Large Tortoiseshell, Spotted Fritillary and Black-eyed Blue are just a few of the special butterfly species to be found here.
- Enjoy the rugged peaks of mainland Portugal's highest alpine region
- Possible butterflies include Spanish Purple Hairstreak, Iberian Chestnut Heath, Black-eyed Blue
- Range of local and regional endemic flora such as Teucrium salviastrum, Silene foetida and Campanula herminii
- Stay in a boutique eco-hotel boasting spectacular views across the surrounding landscape
- Led by an expert naturalist guide
Outline Itinerary
Dates & Prices
2025
Tour Leader: Fernando Romão
Since an early age, Fernando has been interested in wildlife, with a special interest in birdwatching. Fernando has more than 20 years of tour leading experience, in which he's focused on Portugal and Spain's wilderness areas. He's been involved with several important projects relating to ecotourism, nature conservation and photography. Fernando has now led many successful tours for Naturetrek, and although he specialises in birdwatching, he's an excellent all-rounder, with interests extending to butterflies, wild flowers and mammals and history. His in-depth knowledge and passion for nature make him a very popular leader!
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There are few more pleasing sights in the natural world than a meadow filled with wildflowers. Seeing plants in their native habitat is always exciting and our flower tours offer you an incredible choice, from dazzling tropical blooms and the thrill of finding elusive orchids or delicate alpines, to seeing island endemics or British flora. Our tours range from week-long holidays focusing on the ‘Alpine flowers of the Swiss Alps’, the ‘Italian Dolomites’ and the ‘Alpine Flowers of Slovenia’s Julian Alps’, to orchid-hunting on Italy’s Gargano Peninsula and searching for the Autumn Plants of Greece’s Peloponnese. We also visit more remote areas of the world in search of plant-life, from the Tien Shan Mountains of Kazakhstan where we look for wild tulips, to the rainforests and spiny deserts of Madagascar where over 80% of the flora is endemic.
Many of us want to know more about the plants we see around us. Whether inspired by an appreciation of the aesthetic appeal of flowers, or a more focused desire to identify individual species, everyone with an interest in botany will derive pleasure from joining one of Naturetrek’s flower tours.
Why choose Naturetrek’s botanical holidays?
- All our botanical holidays are led by expert botanist guides
- All levels of interest and expertise are catered for, from hobby gardeners and complete beginners to keen botanists who wish to explore a new area with the help of a knowledgeable leader
- We keep the overall focus on flora, though expert guidance is also given on other wildlife
What can I expect on a typical Naturetrek botanical holiday?
- Travel with a group of like-minded people
- Stay at a comfortable hotel or lodge, close to an area of outstanding botanical interest
- Enjoy a series of leisurely day excursions with ample time to appreciate the local flora
In addition to our dedicated flower tours, we also offer holidays with a wider theme to encompass birds, butterflies and other aspects of natural history as well as the flora. Our spring tours to 'Crete' and ‘The Island of Cyprus’ are both timed to allow us to enjoy the botanical highlights as well as the spring bird migration, whilst ‘Croatia and Slovenia – Spring in Istria’ also allows time to enjoy a little of the local culture. ‘Romania – the Wildlife of Transylvania’ combines an appreciation of the flora of the Carpathian Mountains with birding, butterflying and a trip to look for Brown Bears from a purpose built hide, and our holidays in both the ‘French Pyrenees’ and the ‘Spanish Pyrenees’ combine birds, butterflies and botany throughout the week.
Our specialist recommends...
David Tattersfield - Tour Leader
New Wildlife Holidays
Our Operations Team are expert naturalists, and are always researching, developing and releasing new tours for our discerning wildlife travellers.
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Birding Tours Led by Expert Naturalists
The majority of our wildlife tours focus primarily on birds, allowing us to offer a huge choice of bird holidays. On most of our birdwatching tours we aim to see a wide variety of species, while taking time to enjoy other wildlife as well as cultural highlights and architecture.
Naturetrek Birdwatching Tours
We have one of the largest selections of professionally organised, small group birdwatching holidays around the world and all of our birdwatching tours are accompanied by at least one professional ornithologist leader with detailed knowledge of the area.
The majority of our bird tours have a relaxed, flexible approach which allows more time for photography, detailed wildlife exploration, leisure time and the region’s people, culture, history and architecture, while allowing the group to see a wide range of bird species.
Here is a small selection of our many bird holidays:
- Southern Morocco – an exploration of the birdlife in Morocco’s southern deserts, oases and mountains
- The Camargue in Spring – a short break to enjoy the spring birds of the Rhône Delta and Camargue wetland
- Wallcreepers & Cranes in Northern Spain – a 2-centre holiday focusing on Lammergeier, Wallcreepers, raptors, Cranes, bustards, sandgrouse and more!
- Madeira & Desertas Islands – A Seabird Extravaganza! – a short break focusing on special breeding seabirds, including a night on the remote Destertas Islands
- Peru – Macaws & Machu Picchu – searches for boobies, macaws and Inca Terns
- Spain & Morocco: Birding on Two Continents! – watch the spectacular spring bird migration from both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar
Our Bargain Birdwatching Selection
Our Bargain Bird Tours are intensive birdwatching holidays suitable for the serious birder. They are led by expert English-speaking local guides (and not accompanied from the UK by a tour leader). You can expect a higher-paced tour and to spend long hours in the field.
Our specialist recommends...
Byron Palacios - Tour Leader
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Butterfly Watching Holidays Led by Expert Naturalists
Who can fail to be delighted by butterflies – the intensity and variety of their colours, their delicate beauty and fascinating life cycles? Our tours allow butterfly-watching enthusiasts to observe marvellous species all around the world. Sadly, butterflies are in decline in many regions. To help prevent the loss of these beautiful creatures, our butterfly holidays make a direct contribution to their conservation.
Naturetrek Butterfly Tours
- We offer an excellent range of dedicated butterfly holidays
- All tours are led by a Naturetrek butterfly-watching expert
- Although butterflies are the main focus of our butterfly tours, we also take time to observe other wildlife
- By booking one of our dedicated butterfly holidays you will automatically be making a contribution to their conservation.
Here’s a selection of our dedicated butterfly tours:
Although we include butterfly-watching in many of our holidays, we offer a wide selection of dedicated butterfly tours, including:
- The Cevennes – we look for butterflies in the Massif Central
- Butterflies in Normandy – we go in search of some of Normandy’s 160 species of butterfly
- Sweden's Butterflies & Dragonflies – Sweden is home to Large Blue, Apollo, Scarce Copper and many more species
- Butterflies of the Dolomites – we explore sheltered valleys and butterfly hot-spots in the Italian Dolomites
- Sri Lanka - A Butterfly Tour – seeking Sri Lanka’s dazzling tropical species
- Butterflies of Morocco's High Atlas Mountains – a search for the butterflies of the High Atlas Mountains, with a wealth of other wildlife and mountain walks in spectacular scenery.
Naturetrek & Butterfly Conservation
As a top category ‘Gold’ corporate sponsor of Butterfly Conservation (BC), we donate around £1,500 annually to the charity. As well as this, since 2002 we have donated 10% of all income generated by our annual programme of butterfly tours that we run in partnership with BC, and give BC membership to all non-members joining the tours.
Our specialist recommends...
Tom Brereton - Operations Manager
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
Enquire
Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
