Europe’s first real safari accommodation opens for guests

[Techno-Druid]

Star Camp – a unique safari-style camp overlooking Portugal’s Côa Valley, opened up in June to welcome and host its very first guests. This nature traveler’s dream was an idea conceived by Rewilding Europe back in 2013. Through collaboration with the Associação Transumância e Natureza (ATN), our main partner in Western Iberia and sole owner of the Faia Brava Reserve, this idea became reality making the Star Camp Europe’s first real safari-style accommodation.

Star Camp is located in the Faia Brava Reserve that covers nearly 1000 hectares of the beautiful steep-sided valley of the Côa River, between the peaks of the Serra da Marofa and vineyards of the Douro River. Only 4 hours’ drive from Lisbon, Star Camp is overlooking the breath-taking landscape of Western Iberia, rich in wildlife and with a varied habitat of olive trees and cork oaks, recovering Mediterranean forests as well as abandoned farmhouses, shepherd shelters and dry stonewalls. Since a few years, this area is also home to wild-living Garrano horses and Tauros cattle that graze the area in natural way. It is within this magnificent natural setting that Star Camp – with its safari-style feel can currently house six guests – is now sited. Thanks to its low-impact design, the camp strikes a perfect balance between comfort and sustainability.

Star Camp is a semi-permanent setup of three 20m2 rooms located in the Faia Brava reserve. Designed by local architects with a profound sense for nature, Sara Noro and Miguel Torres themselves, its components, except the wooden skeleton, are removable during winter. Every lodge has running water, composting toilet, a hot solar shower, and is fully equipped with double beds, sitting lounge space, mosquito nets, fine linen beddings, towels, fans and Wi-Fi in the central area. It offers uninterrupted mountain views from the wooden porches and an option to pull back the canvas to sleep under the crystal clear starry nights.

Seems like a very beautiful place and I wouldn't mind spending a few nights there.

I'm really fascinated by RewildingEurope's work towards a more biodiverse Europe and trying to introduce more people into environmentalism.

[May90]

Doesn't the word "safary" imply hunting animals in the process? Or is it just a stereotype?

[Techno-Druid]

Doesn't the word "safary" imply hunting animals in the process? Or is it just a stereotype?

A safari is an expedition to hunt or observe animals. In this usage, I think it means the latter.

[May90]

A safari is an expedition to hunt or observe animals. In this usage, I think it means the latter.

Oh, okay, fair enough.

[Techno-Druid]

Oh, okay, fair enough.

I have to ask, are there even that many animals in Europe could be legally hunted? Even if there was hunting in this wildlife refuge, I would imagine current game would be pretty limited. Not that I support hunting or anything, just curious.

[Deleted]

Here's a real safari, live right now, from Sabi Sand, near Kruger, in South Africa:

[Dhrizzle]

I have to ask, are there even that many animals in Europe could be legally hunted? Even if there was hunting in this wildlife refuge, I would imagine current game would be pretty limited. Not that I support hunting or anything, just curious.

More in the colder northern countries, Scotland has a lot of deer hunting, so do Norway and Sweden who also have reindeer and moose.

[May90]

More in the colder northern countries, Scotland has a lot of deer hunting, so do Norway and Sweden who also have reindeer and moose.

Doesn't Eastern Europe also have bear/wolf/boar hunting?

[Wildtree]

I have to ask, are there even that many animals in Europe could be legally hunted?.

Not in Germany, that much is clear.

btw. just to complete the initial question:
Safari = Journey.

[Puupi]

Europe's first safari? We've had safaris in Finland for ages.

What is this bullshit story....

[lonely zergling]

There are safari parks in germany already. Nothing new.

[Techno-Druid]

Out of curiosity, those safari parks you mention already being in Finland and Germany, are they akin to most North American safari parks, which are essentially zoos you walk/drive through or are they safari parks on the level of Africa, where you walk/drive through open wilderness to observe native, wild megafauna?

[Puupi]

Out of curiosity, those safari parks you mention already being in Finland and Germany, are they akin to most North American safari parks, which are essentially zoos you walk/drive through or are they safari parks on the level of Africa, where you walk/drive through open wilderness to observe native, wild megafauna?

There are both those fake safaris and real safaris, of course.

[Techno-Druid]

There are both those fake safaris and real safaris, of course.

Alright, then I'm not entirely sure what they meant when they said "'Europe's first real safari park accommodations", but either way, I think this is nice. I'm pretty supportive of rewilding/conservation groups.

Rewilding Europe plans to rewild one million hectares of land by 2020 and I think that's a good goal.

[Dezerte]

Out of curiosity, those safari parks you mention already being in Finland and Germany, are they akin to most North American safari parks, which are essentially zoos you walk/drive through or are they safari parks on the level of Africa, where you walk/drive through open wilderness to observe native, wild megafauna?

I think the latter is what is meant when we say Safari. I guess this enclosure in Spain just wanted to spin it's PR-machines a bit or maybe they spent a record amount of money on it?