Sado Estuary Nature Reserve

Vast estuarine reserve in southern Portugal, home to flamingos, salt pans, and rich wetland life.

The Sado Estuary Nature Reserve covers around 23,000 hectares in southern Portugal, between Alcácer do Sal, Comporta, and Setúbal. Protected since 1980, this vast estuarine system is one of the most important wetlands on the Iberian Peninsula. About 9,500 hectares are active salt pans where traditional sea salt is still harvested. The reserve shelters rare migratory birds, dolphins, and significant flamingo populations. Its blend of pine forests, rice paddies, and salt flats close to the Atlantic coast is unique in Europe.