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 Иволга - during July they have 40+ in the garden every morning! Quite stunning! Other birds you can see in the area are Обыкновенный зимородок, Удод, Сизоворонка, Золотистая щурка, Водяной пастушок, Золотистая цистикола, Средиземноморская славка, Европейский вьюрок, Волнистый астрильд and Соловьиная широкохвостка. 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/villageConditions
Hilly , Dry , Open landscapeCircular trail
YesIs a telescope useful?
NoGood birding season
All year roundBest time to visit
Summer , Spring migration , Spring , Autumn , Autumn migrationRoute
Paved road , Unpaved road , Narrow trail , Wide pathDifficulty walking trail
EasyAccessible by
Foot , Bicycle , CarBirdwatching hide / platform
YesExtra 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
- Paradise in Portugal
- An excellent website for anyone thinking of "Birding in Portugal" - funnily enough it's the name of the site!


