Martin's Bird Blog & Nature Photos

Tag: Ruinas Romanas de Milreu

  • 12th February 2025 – Estoi, The Algarve, Portugal

    12th February 2025 – Estoi, The Algarve, Portugal

    This morning we had a non-birding trip to the pretty little town of Estoi, about 10 kilometres north of Olhão. There were three interesting tourist attractions: the Matriz de Estoi Church (which we only visited briefly as there was a service on); the Palácio de Estoi (a 19th Century Neo-Rococo styled palace, now converted into a luxury posada hotel, whose beautiful ornamental gardens are open to the public; and the nearby Ruínas Romanas de Milreu, the best preserved Roman ruins in southern Portugal.

    The Matriz de Estoi Church

    El Palacio de Estoi

    The orange and lemon groves

    Although it was a non-birding day we did have a very good view of a European hoopoe in the gardens and white storks flying high overhead.

    A traditional Portuguese farmhouse (Casa Rural) was built on top of the Roman Villa

    Inside the Roman villa

    The temple was one of the earliest churches in Portugal , and has been used as a Roman temple, a church and a mosque, but is now a ruin

    There were many fine mosaics

    Of course there had to be a bath house

    The beautiful spring flowers are just everywhere in the countryside at present

    And they are a feature of town gardens too