Red kite adventure in Spain & Portugal
Spend the week at Matt’s favourite project: a red kite reintroduction site on the stunning Iberian peninsula. Hosted by the incredibly warm Alfonso and Sofia, from the AMUS team, and Matt, co-founder of Mossy Earth, you’ll learn all about these beautiful birds and contribute hands-on to their conservation.
Spain & Portugal | 6 days, 5 nights | 8 guests max | £1,600 per person
What’s included
ACTIVITIES & GUIDES
You will spend every day with Mossy Earth and AMUS team members, teaching you everything they know about the project
TRANSPORT
Transfers from and to Lisbon, and everything in between
ALL ACCOMMODATION
5 nights at a 4* hotel with a pool. Solo travellers share a room with someone else (same gender)
ALL MEALS
5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 5 dinners. Vegetarian and vegan options available
REWILDING CONTRIBUTION
10% of the trip revenue goes directly to funding the project you visit
SMALL, NATURE-LOVING GROUP
8 guests maximum per trip, all passionate about nature. Solo travellers are welcome!
Itinerary
DAY 1
Our team will pick you up in Lisbon and drive you to your hotel (3h journey) so you can settle in.
Gather for a welcome meeting and dinner at a local restaurant in the village to introduce the week.
DAY 2
Join Alfonso, project lead, for an introduction into the red kite project. Visit the red kite area and set up camera traps.
In the afternoon, we’ll plant riparian trees to restore the kites’ natural habitat. In the evening, we’ll enjoy an Amphibian night walk with a local expert, learning how to identify and handle frogs.
DAY 3
Visit and contribute to our new project to create fenced areas for prey species hunted by red kites. In the afternoon, we’ll go to the feeding station to observe beautiful raptors in action.
End the day with a visit to a local castle, followed by a campfire under the stars — listening to owls and frogs as the night comes alive.
DAY 4
Start the day with a drive to one of Alfonso’s secret spots to search for elusive lynxes. We might also spot Bonelli’s eagles, black vultures and imperial eagles.
After lunch, we’ll get a tour of AMUS world-renowned wildlife rescue hospital, where they rehabilitate more than 1,500 animals per year.
DAY 5
Depending on the project activity, get hands-on with trapping, tagging or releasing red kites. We’ll then enjoy lunch at a local wine cellar.
In the afternoon, we’ll go birdwatching at a nearby lake on the Portugal side. We’ll then collect our camera traps and discover what we captured! Finally, we’ll celebrate the week with a farewell dinner altogether in town.
DAY 6
Enjoy a final relaxed morning at your own pace, with time to unwind and soak up the last moments of the trip.
Matt can then drive you back to Lisbon, taking in the landscapes one last time.
Where you’ll stay
You will stay at a quaint hotel, right in the center of the village. It features a terrace with an outdoor pool.
Getting there
During our trip, we will be based in the small, charming village of Valencia del Mombuey, right at the border of Spain and Portugal. This is a great place for food lovers, and we’ll stop by local producers to try local wine, cheese and honey.
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We will organise a group pickup at the Lisbon airport on Sunday at 2pm and drive you to Spain (2h30 journey).
To get to Lisbon, we suggest you look at coaches or trains, there are lots of options from France or Spain for example. If that doesn’t work, you can find flights to Lisbon airport.
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If you prefer, you can also make your way to Valencia del Mombuey directly by car.
During the week, we will have room for you in our van or you can use your own car.
Your trip funds rewilding projects
10% of the trip revenue goes back directly to AMUS’s projects on the ground. Your trip also brings revenue to the local economy, helping us show that rewilding, through tourism, is viable source of income.
Meet your guides
Meet the wonderful team of humans who will spend the week with you, sharing their knowledge and passion for nature.
Pick your dates
If the trip you wanted to join has sold out, register to the waiting list and we’ll contact you when we open up new spots.
By booking you agree to the trip Terms and Conditions.
Spend the week with our biologists to help remove invasive species on the beautiful cliffs of the Portugal coast.
You’ve got questions,
we’ve got answers
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This trip is for anyone who loves nature and wants to learn more about rewilding techniques to restore natural ecosystems. Many guests say one of the reasons they join the trip is to meet other, like-minded people.
Our trips are made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2, with most in their 30s - 50s.
We will be doing moderate physical activities, like hikes in nature and kayaking. Please make sure you are physically fit to participate in these activities.
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Of course! Many people join as solo travellers and make friends along the way.
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If you are a European Union citizen, you do not need a VISA. Just make sure you bring a valid ID with you.
If you are a non-EU citizen, you may need a VISA that can last up to 90 days. Please check the requirements for your nationality for both Spain and Portugal, as we will travel back and forth between the two countries.
You will also need a valid passport. That is, your passport should have been issued in the last 10 years and should be valid until the end of your stay plus 3 months.
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There is no mandatory vaccine requirement to travel to Spain or Portugal.
You can check the CDC recommendations here:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/spain
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/portugal
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Yes. We require all guests on our trips to book their own travel insurance.
Your travel insurance must provide protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation or repatriation, your personal items, and the specific activities planned in this trip.
To get travel insurance, you can first check if your credit card company offers anything. Otherwise, you can check online for travel insurers.
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If you would like to cancel your trip, please notify us by email.
You may be entitled to a refund, as set out below:
Under UK law, if you purchase goods or services from us online, you have the right to cancel your order within 14 days without providing a reason. In this case, we will issue a full refund
If you cancel more than 24 weeks before the scheduled start date for the trip, we will refund you 75% of the Trip Price you have paid us;
If you cancel less than 24 weeks before the Trip Date, but more than 12 weeks before the Trip Date, we will refund you 50% of the Trip Price you have paid us;
If you cancel less than 12 weeks before the Trip Date, we will not provide you a refund.
We may issue a voucher or refund if we can find someone else to take your spot, in which case we will charge you a £50 administrative fee.
Note that if your cancellation is within the terms of your travel insurance policy, you may be able to make a claim.
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All our staff is certified in first aid, and we maintain a small number of guests per trip for close supervision. Every day, our team runs through risk assessment checklists to ensure we have all the equipment needed and are ready in case of any emergency. We will also ask you to tell us about any allergies and medical needs so that we can ensure your safety.
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We pick the dates for our trips to optimise for the best weather forecast. However, in case of rain or extreme heat, we have alternate activities planned. We appreciate your understanding as we adapt to Mother Earth. We’ll communicate any schedule changes via Whatsapp. Don’t worry - we’ll find a way to have fun!
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You will be sharing a room with someone else on the trip.
The rooms are spacious and will include two single beds, so you have a bed each. You will share a bathroom with the other person.
If you are travelling with someone you know, you can ask us to share the same room in the enrolment form after you’ve booked.
If you are a solo traveller, we will pair you with someone of the same gender and similar age.
If you feel really uncomfortable sharing your room, please reach out to us and we may be able to arrange a private room for an extra fee.
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We will have breakfast at a local cafe every morning
The restaurant will prepare packed lunches for us every day, so we can eat in the field
We will have dinner at a local restaurant in the evening.
There will be vegan and vegetarian options available, and we should be able to accommodate all dietary requirements.
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We recommend bringing the following:
T-shirts you feel comfortable walking in
Jumpers
Waterproof jacket
Shorts
Long trousers, to hike
Closed shoes, to hike
Sunscreen
Sunglasses and hat
Day backpack
Water bottle
Binoculars if you have some, otherwise we will lend you some
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The hotel provides free WiFi. During the activities in nature, you may not always have phone service depending on your provider.