Travel
Wildlife-friendly packagesBIRDWATCHING IN MOROCCO
As well as sun-baked cities and
colourful souks, Morocco is home
to dozens of spectacular national
parks and nature reserves. The high
peaks of the Atlas Mountains are
the natural habitat of a huge variety
of flora and fauna, and offer hiking
possibilities to suit the whole family- from easy to you-must-be-joking.
Whatever your level, hire a car in
Marrakech and you can easily reach
the numerous trails of Toubcal
National Park in just over an hour.
The park is home to colourful
butterflies, flowers and more than
150 species of bird. Or for a real
birdwatcher’s paradise, travel
farther south to the lagoons and
reed beds of Oued Mass Nature
Reserve, a short drive from Agadir.
Holidayautos.co.uk offers car
hire from Marrakech from £9
per day. Seven nights b&b with
Travelrepublic.com costs from
£118 per person, including flightsFLORIDA WETLANDS
For many people, Florida means two things:
beaches and that longed-for trip to Disney
World. But a visit is also the ideal opportunity
to explore the Everglades National Park. This
1.5 million acres of tropical wetland is home to
some of the world’s most exotic flora and fauna,
including mangrove swamps, leatherback
turtles, the Florida panther, and the West
Indian manatee (a cross between a sea lion,
a cow and a hippo). This is also the only place
in the world where you can see both alligators
and crocodiles in the same body of water.
The park can be accessed from three main
entrances; admission is from around £15 per
vehicle. Holidaygenie.com offers seven nights
from £450 per person, including flights
SEA HORSES IN PORTUGAL
The clear waters, varied terrain
and wonderful climate of the
Portuguese Algarve have made
it a magnet for holidaymakers,
but few of its visitors know that the
region’s Ria Formosa Natural Park
is also home to the world’s largest
stable of sea horses. A boat from
the port of Olhao will take you to
the park, where you can swim with
these magical endangeredcreatures in their natural habitat.
There are two resident species,
long-snouted and short-snouted,
and while in the water you can
also look out for octopus,
cuttlefish and sea snails.
Sea horse observation tours
cost £35 per person with
Passeios-ria-formosa.com.
Loveholiday.com offers six nights
self-catering from £161 per
Words: Diana McAdam. Photographs: iStock, Nature Picture Libraryperson, including flights