Privé vogelspotten vanuit Porto

My partner and I are birders visiting Portugal and knew we would want a birding tour when we went up to Porto. We were torn between this one and a shorter one, but we're really glad we went with the longer option. Mariana and Carlos were wonderful and despite the words of warning about the jeep not being comfortable I thought it was perfectly fine. We saw the main species we wanted to see (hoopoe!) plus multiple other lifers like common chaffinch, common greenshank, and great spotted woodpecker. Temperature was perfect and lunch was great, too. While it might be a little long for a newer birder, if you are already planning to spend a lot of time birding del Norte I think you'll find it's well worth it.

This was a very pleasant bird-watching day with a very experienced local guide. We watched shorebirds at a nature reserve near Esposende as well as birding in local fields and woods. The migration of northern bird species had not really started yet, so there were not as many shorebird species present as there will be later in October. Nevertheless, we saw new species and very much enjoyed our outing with Carlos (guide) and Pedro, who was translating for Carlos when required. Both are very kind and helpful people who treated us to a good day out, complete with an excellent lunch at a local restaurant.

I booked this private birdwatching tour for my mother (age 81), who is an avid birder and it turned out to be a truly wonderful experience for both of us. Carlos was incredibly knowledgeable and clearly passionate about birdlife and the local habitats. Even though I’m not a birdwatcher myself, I genuinely enjoyed the day and learned a lot. We explored a range of landscapes, from forest to beach to farmland, all within a short distance from Porto. A major highlight was spending time in Carlos’s bird hide, where we got an up-close view of local species in a quiet, natural setting. My mom was absolutely thrilled! She saw 10 life birds and was beyond excited. Renate was also fantastic. Super warm, helpful, and a great translator, which made the day even smoother and more enjoyable. Lunch was a highlight in itself!—delicious and well-timed midway through the day, giving us a chance to relax and reflect before heading out for more birding. This tour was a perfect balance of learning, adventure, and comfort. Whether you’re a serious birder or just along for the ride, it’s an excellent way to explore the natural beauty near Porto.

Carlos and Renata were fabulous guides. They made us feel very comfortable and Carlos’ knowledge and experience is incredible.

Unfortunately, I did not go on the tour. However, I still wanted to share this experience for fellow bird friends that might think about going. I tried booking through Tripadvisor, but as the minimum number of people is 2, as a solo traveler, it was not possible. Thus I went to the official website and contacted them using their contact form, as instructed on the website. This was one week before the planned tour - to date I have still not received an answer. After some days, I contacted Carla through Whatsapp. Her number is provided on the website for spontaneous booking requests. For days, she ignored my message. Two days later I contacted Sergio - same Carla his number was on the website. He read my message and just ignored it. To date, I have still not received an answer. 2 days before the tour I tried calling Sergio twice. No answer. I also tried calling Carla, no answer either. 1 day before the trip I tried Carla again twice. And only after that she texted back that they don‘t have enough registrations. After which she just blocked me on Whatsapp. So just a bad overall service.

Great birding experience with Carlos and Louis! The combination of these two gentleman is something I won’t forget quickly. Louis, the enthusiastic, super-friendly driver and Carlos, the wise and funny birding expert. We’ve seen 18 different bird species, with the European Roller and Osprey (with fish in his claws) as two highlights. Definitely recommend to book with North Birding Tours; not because they’re the only birding agency in Porto, but simply because they’re the best!

We really enjoyed the day with Carlos and Luis. We visited several interesting sites and despite it was off-season for birdwatching, we were able to locate many species we were looking for. We enjoyed the fields near coast, we went into the mountains and we naturally visited coastland as well. Hoopoes, warblers, plovers, dunlins, to name a few, all really enjoyable!

On January 3, 2019, I signed up for a full-day tour for two people on the last day of sightseeing in Portugal. Rio, the bird guide, is not very fluent in English, but Nuno, the driver and Rio's assistant who accompanied us, was very fluent in English and supplemented our explanations, so we had no trouble talking. I was able to observe everything from sandpipers, waterfowl and birds of prey near the mouth to grassland and field areas and small birds on the mountain side. Personally, I was very happy to be able to closely observe the fluent Robin and Black Redstart, which are not at all uncommon here. And not only bird watching, but also the vast view of the national park below from the top of the mountain, the many delicious dishes of the restaurant we stopped for lunch, and the Rio Nuno we had a great time talking about Portugal and Japan at lunchtime. Thanks to the duo of Rio, who are eager to find and explain wild birds, and Nuno, who is full of hospitality, I not only achieved my goal of bird watching, but it was a lovely memory of my trip to Portugal. Thank you for your time on Sportsmail Obligada!

I went on a trip by the river Cávado and the forest and fields near Esposende, with the guide Carlos Rio. It was great! The guide is a real expert, and with a handfull of nice and rich stories about nature and his amazing and ecletic experiences. I saw and photographed a lot of new species. I'll be back for sure!

My wife and a friend and I visited Porto from Mexico where I had started bird watching. This is a new activity for me and I wanted a professional guide which we found in Carlos Rio and the driver, Rui Pedro who spoke perfect English. We started with an early pickup from our hotel and headed to the river delta. Even though the tide was already rising, Carlos was able to point out a number of birds that I had never seen before. Carlos and Rui took photos of the day and gave us copies and rights to use them as we liked. By the way, our outing was on Big Day for birds which is a global bird count by people all over the world. This provided an extra level of excitement. We then drove around the river mouth to view from the other side where again Carlos identified a number of shore birds. We then headed inland in search of more birds. Thankfully for Carlos' quick eye and knowledge we were able to see 34 species. It was a great day. We saw some interesting birds, great landscapes and back roads, and we were provided with a fantastic lunch in a village. Rui was a good and safe driver. Both Rui and Carlos were very professional and so friendly and caring that by the end of the day we felt like long time friends. All in all a fantastic valued experience.