Conservation and rewilding in the Côa valley: Portugal

11 April 2025 – 4 days for £2,180

Discover the unique, unspoiled landscapes of the Greater Côa valley. Learn how, through rewilding, wildlife’s natural rhythms are creating wilder, more biodiverse habitats that encourage nature to flourish.

A beautiful yet relatively unknown part of northern Portugal, located close to the Spanish border between the Douro river and Malcata mountain ranges, the Côa valley is rich in biodiversity and has a broad range of habitat types as well as endemic species. The area is home to vultures, eagles, otters, pond turtles and the Iberian wolf, a strictly protected species in Portugal. 

Spend two days exploring the region accompanied by Fernando Romão from the Rewilding Portugal team who will introduce you to the Rewilding projects in the area. Rewilding Portugal is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to promote nature conservation through rewilding measures. Its aim is for the Greater Côa valley to be a wilder place, with fully functioning ecosystems and abundant wildlife, where natural processes and complete food chains play key roles in the regeneration of the landscape.

In partnership with The Ultimate Travel Company. 

DAY 1: PORTO AND THE CÔA VALLEY

Welcome to Porto! You will join a group transfer from Porto airport to the Côa valley, a journey of around 2 and a half hours, where you will check into your hotel, 4-star Cró Rural Hotel where you will spend the next three nights. The remainder of the afternoon will be spent at leisure. 

In the evening, meet with your tour leader and the rest of your group at the hotel. Afterwards, enjoy a presentation by a member of the Rewilding Portugal team. Learn about their work in the Greater Côa valley, an important wildlife corridor for many species, including the Iberian wolf, Iberian ibex, red deer and roe deer.

A welcome dinner will then be held at the hotel with the group. Afterwards, enjoy an evening nature session with a Rewilding Portugal biologist. 

DAY 2: VALONGO AND VALE DAS ÉGUAS, CÔA VALLEY

Depart for Valongo and Vale das Égues for a hike along the river accompanied by Rewilding guide Fernando Romão, a nature guide and photographer for over 20 years. Continue to Paul de Toirões, situated on the Beira plateau near the Spanish border, to go birdwatching. Formerly an old mine which ceased production almost a decade ago, Paul de Toirões is one of the largest water surfaces in the Côa Valley and is full of aquatic and riparian vegetation as well as over 100 species of birds. There is an abundance of willow woods, some areas of reed beds, as well as a young but extensive forest, mainly composed of Pyrenean Oak (Quercus pyrenaica) and Holm Oak (Quercus rotundifolia). Both the White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) and the Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) can be seen here regularly, searching for food or shelter.

Enjoy a picnic lunch with a cooking demonstration by a local chef at Ponte Sequeiros, an arched bridge crossing the Côa River which is thought to have been built in the 13th century.

Continue to hike to the Vale Carapito where a herd of 10 Sorraia horses (two male and eight female) has been released by Rewilding Portugal to enhance natural grazing in the valley.

Enjoy dinner with music around the fire at a local castle with chef Rui Cerdeira. Afterwards, return to the hotel.

DAY 3: VALE MADEIRA REWILDING CENTRE AND ERMO DE AGUIAS, CÔA VALLEY

Depart for the rewilding centre at Vale Madeira, which showcases the ongoing rewilding efforts, where you will once again be joined by Fernando Romão. From here, visit the historic medieval city of Pinhel, known as the Falcon City, which dates back to the Chalcolithic Period, and enjoy lunch on the edge of the Côa river.

Afterwards, visit Ermo des Águias (wilderness of the eagles), a newly established rewilding site that promotes the regeneration of native vegetation to enhance the benefits of natural grazing. Here, you will meet Marco Pinto, a local shepherd who will offer insight into the area. You can then hike to a waterfall where some of the most emblematic birds of the region, such as the golden eagle, the black stork and the griffon vulture, can be spotted. You can also see the ruins of Fojo do Lobo, an ancient stone structure originally used to hunt Iberian wolves, which attests to the ancestral presence of this predator in the area. 

Enjoy lunch on the edge of the Côa River.

Enjoy dinner at the Figueira Castelo Rodrigo, before transferring to Castelo Mendo for an evening visit to the prehistoric engravings, which include engraved rock drawings of horses, bovines, human and abstract figures that date from 22,000 to 10,000 BC. Afterwards, return to the hotel. 

DAY 4: DEPART CÔA VALLEY FOR PORTO

Check out of the hotel and transfer to Porto airport for your departure flight.

You can extend your time in Porto, please speak to the team for more details.