Tapada Nacional de Mafra

João V enclosed this land in 1747 as the royal hunting reserve attached to the palace and convent at Mafra, and the wall he built - some twenty-one kilometres of it - still stands and still contains the park. Inside are around eight hundred hectares of oak, pine and scrub holding fallow and red deer, wild boar, foxes and a bird of prey population, with a wolf enclosure and a recovery centre for injured raptors run on site. Marked walking trails and mountain bike routes run through it, and there is a tourist train and guided tours in vehicles for those who want a fixed route. The deer are genuinely wild within the wall and are seen most reliably at dawn and dusk and during the September and October rut, when the stags roar. It is managed by the state forestry institute.

What you actually see

• The 1747 wall - twenty-one kilometres of enclosure still standing.
• The deer - fallow and red deer, most visible at dawn, dusk and in the autumn rut.
• The recovery centre - injured birds of prey and a wolf enclosure.
• The trails - marked walking and cycling routes through oak and pine.

When to go

Year-round; September and October for the rut. Two to four hours. Dawn and late afternoon for wildlife. Check opening days - it closes on some.

Honest expectations

Animals are wild inside the wall and sightings are not guaranteed in the middle of the day. Trails are long and there is little shade in summer. The tourist train and guided routes cost extra on top of entry. Wild boar are present and should be given distance.

Nearby

Mafra palace and convent are in the town; Ericeira is on the coast west.