Nature: At Casa Flor de Sal there is a lot of wildlife to enjoy: the very characteristic Hoopoes, the Storks in their nest, the Azure-winged Magpies, and the chameleons are here all year around. Several different lizards and geckos are very abundant and easy to spot. There are also many butterflies in the warmer months and Bee-eaters in the spring.
Our natural swimming lake has attracted fish, lots of birds, bats, many dragonflies and damselflies, whirligig beatles, skaters, many other insects and some amphibians. We also seem to have more chameleons since the lake was built.
In the Ria Formosa nature reserve, apart from the more than 200 species of birds that visit the park, there are several hundred plant species – some very unique, 288 species of molluscs, 79 species of fish (including sea horses), 11 amphibians and 15 reptiles, including the endangered and extremely localized chameleon. Of the various mammals that haunt these wetlands the most popular is the otter, which is common throughout the park.
In general, the Algarve has very diverse natural habitats and around 40% of the area enjoys some level of natural protection, so if you wish, there is a huge variety of species to look at. We have more information about butterflies and about flowers.
Nature holidays are a growing market here and there are now specialist guides in just about any type of species. If you wish to have a guide during some your holiday, just tell us the species you are interested to see and we will give you some suggestions.
