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Santa Clara a Velha

South west  >  Portugal

Away from the hustle and bustle of the coast this is a wonderful introduction to the "real" Portugal and a great area for birding.

Added* by Frank McClintock
Most recent update 1 május 2024

Description

Wild, unpopulated countryside with self-sufficient farms and cork oak forests. Santa Clara Valley is a beautiful walking area and there's an excellent place to stay on the other side of the lake that has been built to blend into the surrounding area and attract birds - search for "Paradise in Portugal" or "Quinta do Barranco da Estrada". There's an excellent hide in the valley itself and "Paradise in Portugal" has a hide in their garden that is aimed specifically at Sárgarigó - during July they have 40+ in the garden every morning! Quite stunning! Other birds you can see in the area are Jégmadár, Búbos banka, Szalakóta, Gyurgyalag, Guvat, Szuharbújó, Kucsmás poszáta, Csicsörke, asztrild and Berki poszáta. But many more, see the birdlist and photo gallery below.

Details

Access

By car or train. The station is called "Santa Clara Saboia". Click on the P in the map for directions to Quinta do Barranco da Estrada.

Terrain and Habitat

Forest , Wetland , Lake , Agriculture , Scattered trees and bushes , Grassland , Valley , River , Reedbeds , City/village

Conditions

Hilly , Dry , Open landscape

Circular trail

Yes

Is a telescope useful?

No

Good birding season

All year round

Best time to visit

Summer , Spring migration , Spring , Autumn , Autumn migration

Route

Paved road , Unpaved road , Narrow trail , Wide path

Difficulty walking trail

Easy

Accessible by

Foot , Bicycle , Car

Birdwatching hide / platform

Yes

Extra info

I cannot stress this with greater emphasis - check out "Paradise in Portugal" (see the link below) you will not be disappointed, but early booking is normally essential.

Links

View other birding spots in the area that are published on Birdingplaces

Map

Top 5 birds

Other birds you can see here

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