Portugal travel advice

Andrew Winter of our supplier Vale de Moses is awed by the joyous solitude around inland central Portugal. He shares his Portugal tips: “The region we live in the Beira Baixa, is one of the least known in western Europe. There is just 1 person for every 6 sq kms. Abandoned villages are overgrown and taken back by wilderness. That creates a magical environment that is like time travel. You can walk or cycle for hours without seeing another soul - but when you do meet a local, they are welcoming and kind to strangers. If you're invited into their adega where they store their own wine, you'll enter a world from another age. They'll offer you a glass of each thing they make - usually red wine, jeropiga (a liqueur), ginja (cherry liqueur) and aguardente (wine spirit), accompanied by corn bread and goat's cheese they make at home.”

Wildlife tips

Catherine Crone from supplier Headwater talks about the brilliant birding on a specialist twitching break at the Quinta do Barranco da Estrada in the Algarve:

“Ornithology here is extraordinarily rich due to the diverse habitats. Over 120 species live round the quinta year round – warblers, stonechats, shrike, bee-eaters, kingfishers, woodpeckers, three species of eagle (short-toed, booted and Bonelli's). The area also has one of Europe’s highest densities of nightingales - during spring you’re rarely out of earshot! There are four other birdwatching areas within an hour and a half's car journey. The Sado Estuary is a haven for marshland birds, while south west is the migratory route along Portugal's rocky coast. The Rio Formosa salt pans have a wealth of wading birds including Purple galinules. The Alentejo plains are truly stunning - specialities include bustard, sandgrouse, stone curlew, Lesser kestrel and Montagu's harrier.”