Spring in Southern Portugal

Tour Code: PRT04

An 8-day holiday of botanical and birdwatching walks and excursions in the hills, steppes, woodlands and coastal wetlands of southern Portugal.

8 days from
£1,995 (Inc flights)
Land only price from
£1,645
book now

Highlights

Summary

Summary

This popular spring wildlife holiday in Portugal is timed to get the best from this beautiful region's rich flora and diverse range of migratory birds. From the cliffs, dunes, saltpans and heaths of the Algarve to the Cork Oak forests of the Monchique Hills and the wide open grass plains of the Alentejo, we will encounter much of interest and wonder. Our tour starts in the beautiful hilltop town of Mertola, with its Roman ruins and spectacular Moorish castle. From here we enjoy stunning flower-filled plains and some of Europe's most exciting birding, before finishing our holiday with four nights in Sagres, exploring the varied habitats of the south-western tip of the continent.

  • 2-centre holiday combining the sunny Algarve with the magnificent steppes of the Alentejo
  • Explore the region's Cork Oak forests, steppe grasslands & abundant coastal habitats
  • Great and Little Bustards, Iberian Magpies & Black-winged Kite
  • Bee-eaters, Rollers, shrikes, larks & more
  • Peonies, cistuses & numerous orchid species
  • A wealth of reptiles, butterflies & other insects

Grading

Gentle day walks, part-day walks, and natural history excursions. Grade A.

The far south-western corner of Europe offers much for the naturalist, yet Portugal is a country so often overlooked in favour of the larger landmass of neighbouring Spain. This holiday is timed to get the best from this beautiful region’s rich flora and diverse range of breeding and migratory birds at, what is coincidentally, one of the most pleasant times of the year weatherwise. From the windswept cliffs, dunes and heaths of the west coast to the marshes and saltpans of the south, and from the Cork Oak forests of the Monchique Hills to the wide open grass plains and parkland of the Alentejo, we will encounter much of interest and wonder. All the time we will be immersed in the rich culture and history of southern Portugal, which is reflected in the fine Moorish architecture, excellent cuisine and wines, and rich contrasts from the 20th century bustle of the Algarve coast to the near medieval subsistence agriculture of the Alentejo valleys, where ploughing with mules is the norm.

Our tour starts in the beautiful hilltop town of Mertola, with its Roman ruins and spectacular Moorish castle. Perched high above the Guadiana River, Mertola offers fine opportunities to explore both the stunning flower-studded plains around Casto Verde — where we hope to see both Great and Little Bustards, Stone Curlew and numerous Montagu’s Harriers — and the rugged, seldom explored savannah country towards the Spanish border, where we might encounter Black-shouldered Kite, Black Vulture, Great Spotted Cuckoo and Black-bellied Sandgrouse. Oscillated Lizards, the largest European lizard, are common in this area, and the rivers are full of terrapins and water snakes.

One of the highlights during our 3-night stay at Mertola might be a journey north to the spectacular gorge and waterfall in the Guadiana valley at Pulo do Lobo, where Black Stork and Bonelli’s Eagle have bred. Mertola itself has a large colony of Lesser Kestrels and the sight of several dozen of these beautiful birds wheeling around in the evening sky above the castle and 14th century Franciscan convent is something to be remembered.

During the second part of our holiday we will be based for four nights in Sagres at the wonderful Memmo Baleeira Hotel, situated just a stone’s throw from a fort which served as Henry the Navigator’s 15th century School of Navigation. Comfortable, clean rooms are enhanced by a breathtaking modern design and, with outstanding views over the Sagres coastline, this hotel provides a relaxing and charming retreat.

Driving east, along the Algarve coast from Sagres, dunes, heathland, pine woodland and valley farmland will provide excellent botanising in delightful surroundings. Local birds should include Bee-eaters, Shorttoed Eagles, Nightingales, Red-rumped Swallows, Woodchat Shrikes, Cirl Buntings and many more. We will visit various sites along the west coast, including the dramatic Cape St. Vincent, the southwestern extremity of Europe, with its towering cliffs complete with Choughs and Peregrines, and the nearby Sagres Point which offers us the chance to enjoy an extraordinary limestone flora, resident Blue Rock Thrushes and Thekla Larks, and the aforementioned Henry the Navigator’s 15th century School of Navigation.

The Algarve coast has suffered much from development for the tourism industry over recent decades, but a few outstanding coastal marshes still remain. One such is the Quinta da Rocha near Portimão. Here there is a bird observatory and field centre poised on a picturesque peninsula covered in almond and olive groves, scrubland and pine woodland, and sandwiched between two small river estuaries. The range of plants and animals to be encountered here is huge. Mirror and Tongue Orchids, asphodels and broomrapes abound. Bee-eaters, Hoopoes and Woodchat Shrikes are everywhere. Black-winged Stilts and Kentish Plovers breed on the marshes which ring to their calls and to the songs of Short-toed Larks, Fan-tailed Warblers and Yellow Wagtails. We will spend a rewarding day here, rounded off with an evening visit to the spectacular cliffs and stacks of Ponta da Piedade that house a large colony of Cattle and Little Egrets.

Such are some of the delights of southern Portugal in spring that, by the end of this holiday, we are sure, like many of our tour leaders, you will be truly under the spell of this charming country.

DETAILED INFORMATION
Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1
Fly to Faro and transfer to Mertola
Day 2/3
Birdwatching and botanising excursions from Mertola
Day 4/7
Birdwatching and botanising excursions from Sagres
Day 8
Transfer to Faro, and fly London
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What's Included

What's Included?

  • Flights
  • Accommodation:

    A two-centre holiday. Three nights in a traditional Pensao in the delightful, cobbled hilltop town of Mertola; four nights in a very comfortable hotel overlooking the harbour in Sagres. All rooms with private facilities.

  • Food:

    All food included in the price.

Reviews
Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost
Mon 7th Apr – Mon 14th Apr 5 £1,995
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,645
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£495
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Glyn Evans
Glyn Evans

Tour Leader: Glyn Evans

Glyn has been a bird watcher since he found a Waxwing on his way to school, aged eight. Ever since then, he says, his “lifelong underachieving in study and work has been mainly attributed to this distraction! Many a previous work colleague had a conversation abruptly aborted due to something much more interesting catching my eye out of the window…”

Eventually the penny dropped, and now he finds wildlife for a living! He lives in a lovely part of Essex where a good variety of local habitats deliver a wide range of birds and other wildlife. He regularly enjoys showcasing this on social media which, in turn, has helped several environmental causes he is now working on as an influential local councillor.

Nature watching isn’t always action-packed, so it is important, he says, to enjoy people’s company in the quiet and challenging times as much as when the wildlife is performing! People’s holidays should be fun, regardless of whatever luck they have.

Mon 14th Apr – Mon 21st Apr SPACES £1,995
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,645
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£495
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Glyn Evans
Glyn Evans

Tour Leader: Glyn Evans

Glyn has been a bird watcher since he found a Waxwing on his way to school, aged eight. Ever since then, he says, his “lifelong underachieving in study and work has been mainly attributed to this distraction! Many a previous work colleague had a conversation abruptly aborted due to something much more interesting catching my eye out of the window…”

Eventually the penny dropped, and now he finds wildlife for a living! He lives in a lovely part of Essex where a good variety of local habitats deliver a wide range of birds and other wildlife. He regularly enjoys showcasing this on social media which, in turn, has helped several environmental causes he is now working on as an influential local councillor.

Nature watching isn’t always action-packed, so it is important, he says, to enjoy people’s company in the quiet and challenging times as much as when the wildlife is performing! People’s holidays should be fun, regardless of whatever luck they have.

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Botanical Tours – See Wild Flowers with our Expert Botanical Guides


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...






"I'd recommend 'Wengen – Alpine Flowers of the Swiss Alps', 'Crete' and 'The French Pyrenees', which all offer some fascinating European botany, along with plenty of wider natural history and some stunning scenery. If you’re keen to travel a little further afield, I’d suggest joining us in South Africa for our 'Wild Flowers of the Cape & Namaqualand' tour” 

David Tattersfield - Tour Leader




All Botany Tours

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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:



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...






"Try Coto Doñana & Extremadura for an excellent introduction to Europe's wetland and steppe birds. I would recommend our bargain holiday, 'Nepal – A Birdwatching Tour' for those interested in Siberian rarities and Ibisbill, while Costa Rica offers a chance to search for arguably the world's most beautiful bird, the Resplendent Quetzal."

Byron Palacios - Tour Leader




  


 


All Birdwatching Tours

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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?

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!

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