Birdwatching has become more and more popular in the Algarve because this province in the south of Portugal has the richest avifauna of the country. A total number of 386 bird species have been recorded in the Algarve, including various seabirds, shorebirds, ducks, passarines, birds of prey and many others. All year round, you can find at least 250 different species of birds in the Algarve.
Online you can already find many Algarve birdwatching enthusiasts blogging about the amazing variety of bird species you can see in the Algarve.
Recently, the Algarve Tourism Board joined efforts with SPEA (Sociedade Portuguesa par o Estudo das Aves) to produce some guides for birdwatching, including a quick guide with interesting pictures and some descriptions, for a quick visual reconnaissance of the birds, as well as an excellent and more complete guide for birdwatching in the Algarve. As you can find in this guide, there are several routes and excursions for birdwatching in the Algarve. There is also a comprehensive guide to birdwatching in Portugal
At Sitio do Lago you are 20 minutes drive to the salt marshes at Vilamoura, and the protected area of Ria Formosa near Faro.