The visitor centre for the Tagus Estuary Natural Reserve is the place to get up to speed on the wildlife of the park.

It’s a modern complex raised on wooden piles, and smartly designed to have an observation space with a large window facing the marshes.

The centre is in 70 hectares of its own freshwater marshland, established to protect the park’s birdlife and make it easier to observe without intruding.

There are carefully devised trails and hides, and EVOA puts on regular guided birdwatching walks.

In the permanent exhibition is a clear summary of all of the birds that inhabit the estuary, so it’s a useful base if you’re planning to see or photograph this wildlife.