a bird-only zoo, right in Madeira
There's a logic to having a zoo dedicated exclusively to birds on an island that built part of its natural identity around the species that nest or pass through here. Ilha das Aves, in Campanário, in the parish of Ribeira Brava, takes that principle seriously: what you find here isn't a generic zoo with a few parrots in the corner, but a space designed from the ground up around birds.
The adoption programme is one of the elements that sets this place apart from an ordinary visit. You can link yourself directly to a specific animal, which adds another layer to the experience, especially if you come back more than once.
School visits carry real weight in how this place works, which means the space is used to explaining what it has and why. For anyone going with children, that shows in how the zoo is organised and communicated. For anyone going alone or as a couple, it's a calmer visit than a large-scale zoo, with a pace that allows for more relaxed observation. You're in the south of Madeira, with the sea at the bottom of the hillside.
what you'll find
- collection entirely dedicated to birds
- adoption programme to sponsor an animal
- small scale, its own rhythm
- Madeiran context: between the hills and the ocean
