CENTRO DE EDUCAÇÃO AMBIENTAL DO VALE GONÇALINHO

In the heart of the vast plains of the Beja district, Campo Branco, the "white field", is one of the best birdwatching sites in Alentejo, and undoubtedly in Portugal. Its 6,000 hectares of bare, treeless cereal steppes form a unique ecosystem that is a paradise for many species of birds, most of them endangered. So much so that the area has been recognized by UNESCO as an international biosphere reserve. This is an opportunity for visitors to observe some of the most astonishing representatives of the avifauna, such as the Iberian imperial eagle, the calandra lark, the stone curlew, the grey crane, not forgetting the black-bellied ganga and the ashy francolin... But the real stars of the place are the bustards, bearded geese or ducks, superb birds that sometimes take flight beneath your feet with great noise. From the Vale Gonçalinho environmental education center, where you'll find a wealth of documentation, including a book of itineraries (also available from the Castro Verde tourist office), you can go off on your own or join a guided tour, provided you book (by e-mail or telephone) a week in advance. Note that the CEAVG is a self-sufficient building, relying on micro-production of renewable energies (solar and wind), waste composting and local effluent treatment thanks to a wastewater treatment plant.