Cabo Sardão

Cabo Sardão is a low lighthouse cape on the Vicentine coast, and its distinction is ornithological: white storks nest here on sea stacks and cliff ledges directly above the Atlantic, which happens nowhere else in the world. Storks are inland birds, nesting on chimneys, church towers, pylons and trees across Iberia; the colony here has adapted to bare rock pillars with the sea breaking beneath, and the nests are visible from the clifftop paths within a few dozen metres. They arrive from around February and are on nests through spring and early summer. Beyond the storks the cape is dramatic in its own right - folded schist strata in the cliff faces, blowholes, and the Fishermen's Trail running along the top. There is no development, only the lighthouse and the paths, and the wind is relentless.

The landscape

• The cliff-nesting storks - a colony on sea stacks, unique in the world.
• The nests - visible from clifftop paths a few dozen metres away.
• The folded strata - contorted schist layers in the cliff faces.
• The lighthouse - the only structure on an otherwise undeveloped cape.

When to go

March to July, when the storks are on nests; they are largely gone by late summer. One to two hours. Late afternoon light suits the cliffs.

Practical notes

Very exposed and windy - it is hard to hold binoculars steady. Cliff edges are unfenced and undercut in places; keep well back. No facilities at all. Do not approach or disturb the nests; watch from the paths.

Nearby

Zambujeira do Mar is south; Vila Nova de Milfontes is north.

Key facts