The 12th edition of the festival runs from Friday until Tuesday and is organised by the Vila do Bispo Council, with the support of the Association for the Defense of the Cultural and Environmental Heritage of the Algarve (Almargem) and the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA).

“We are going to have a mix of activities, not only for bird connoisseurs”, said the Mayor of Vila do Bispo, Rute Silva, stressing that the investment the municipality makes in festival has a “great return”, for the county.

The mayor was congratulated for “the commitment to continuity” that the municipality made in this area and for the organisation of the festival, having enabled the event to be, “well recognised on a national and international level”.

“What is expected of this edition is that it will be another success. There has been an increase in people, but also an increase in interest in this area in the municipality, which is obviously very important for us, because we are committed to nature tourism”, the mayor told Lusa.

André Pinheiro, from Almargem, listed the main features of this edition, which includes photography, gastronomy, bird watching, leisure and physical activity activities and boat trips to observe marine fauna.

There will also be treasure hunts, visits to a “new space in the Chamber, which is the Lota de Sagres Interpretive Centre”, where there will be “show-cooking” with a local chef.