Private Birding Tour in Algarve with Rob / November 2025
I am excited to meet Rob for his private 2 day birding tour in Algarve starting from Faro. It is the first half of November and the weather is absolutely delightful. The exact itinerary of his birdwatching tour has been designed according to the latest sightings, the season and Rob’s wishes. Rob is a bird photographer and I wanted to make sure he could have great photo opportunities. On the first day, we will explore several birding hotspots on the East of Faro, and on the second day, we will discover other hotspots on the West of Faro. That way, we minimize driving time and maximize birding time!
Starting early at 7h30, we go to our first hotspot near Olhão where we can go for a nice long walk, going through mixed habitats, which is ideal to spot a great number of bird species. There is a forest patch, with pine trees, olive trees, oak trees. There is also a hide by a pond that I usually find full of birds. There are salt pans, and finally the coast of Ria Formosa. We take almost the whole morning to discover this magical place, and end up seeing 49 bird species. Just within ducks, we could see Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls, Eurasian Wigeons, Mallards, Northern Pintails, and Green-winged Teals. And Rob was particularly happy when I spotted a Black-winged Kite. Sitting in the hide, we took the opportunity to talk about bird photography and I was happy to help Rob improve his pictures on the spot.
I then decide to take Rob to nearby salt pans where a Wilson’s Phalarope has been spotted for the last 2 days! The Wilson’s Phalarope is a north american species, and sightings in Portugal are extremely rare. We arrive on location and directly spot this beautiful and very elegant bird. What an incredible observation!
After such a great morning full of beautiful birds, it is time to have lunch. We stop in a nice local restaurant and enjoy our meal on the sunny terrace. Visiting Algarve off season is always a great idea, because the weather is great and everything is easy.
For the afternoon, the idea is to explore a few places, all near the coast, between Olhão and Faro. We have more great sightings, including an Eurasian Spoonbill at a short distance.
The sun slowly sets on the horizon and we have a wonderful time photographing shorebirds and Greater Flamingos in the salt pans.
The Greater Flamingo is such a stunning unique bird that every sighting is a chance and being able to photograph them in such ideal conditions is a privilege.
We then head back to our hotel, located in the heart of Faro, before going for a fantastic dinner in a nearby traditional portuguese restaurant.
Waking up early, we get our coffee and start to drive west. Weather is ideal again, and I bring Rob to a bird hide where I always have a great time. We are all alone, which is surreal knowing how great this hide is for bird watching. Sunrise is beautiful and when we arrive we directly see a Western Swamphen right in front of us, only a few meters from the hide. We stay about 2 hours in the hide, seeing 38 bird species. Highlights include a Common Snipe, 2 Common Kingfishers, and a Little Bittern.
We then go for a quick lunch, as the idea is to spend as much time as possible birding. In the afternoon, we focus on one last area, exploring both Quinta do Lago and Quinta do Ludo. We do a great long walk, seeing many many birds. More than 100 Greater Flamingos are spread out in the different ponds. Common Chiffchaffs are everywhere. We see 2 species of tern, the Caspian Tern and the Sandwich Tern. And at some point, we arrive by a pond that is absolutely full of shorebirds : more than 250 Pied Avocets, many Black-tailed Godwits, Sanderlings, Curlew Sandpipers, Black-winged Stilts, etc etc. All feeding peacefully and allowing our presence. We sat down and enjoy a memorable moment surrounded by hundreds of shorebirds in a beautiful light. The perfect way to end this great 2 day private birding tour in Algarve.
It is time to bring Rob back to the hotel, as he will stay there for one more night. And it is time for me to go home. We end this birdwatching tour around Faro with not less than 92 bird species, great memories and great images.
Salva Fauna
