I love Tapada de Mafra! The first contact I had with this space was when I was a child, I remember visiting Tapada when I was at EDP summer camp! I loved feeding the wild boars with the remains of the melon, in fact I think I ate fruit just to have scraps to give to the animals. Now none of that is possible, and after taking biology I understand perfectly. Although it is something I will never forget and perhaps it boosted my passion for animals. However, Tapada has changed a lot and has more activities for participants, and I especially love the possibility of walking around Tapada. It's perhaps what was needed for someone who likes to photograph and observe animals.
DETAILS
Starting Point: Tapada de Mafra Entrance Gate
Distance to Cover: About 6 km
Time of year: Winter and spring
Best time of the day: Opening of the Gates
Recommended Material: Camera + telephoto lens above 400mm
Extras: Avoid weekends
HOW TO GET
The Main Gate is the only one through which you can access Tapada de Mafra, you should check the timetables to know what time you can start your visit. All information must be consulted and verified on the Tapada website at www.tapadademafra.pt. To make your journey easier, you can enter the following coordinates into your GPS: 38°57'52.7" N 9°18'09.9" W or 38.964639, -9.302754, or follow the link to the google maps.
RECOMMENDED ROUTE
To walk! There are three possible routes but for me the best is the blue route, the smallest and which passes through the lowest areas without major slopes. The idea is to go take photos and not walk long distances. And if we find an animal, we can spend some time photographing it. The route starts at the back of the main building, following along the river. Although the most interesting points are after passing the last bridge and returning to the parking lot. This final part of the route is where we always find more animals.
MY EXPERIENCE
The animals are used to the presence of visitors, and some even come to us looking for food. However, it is essential not to feed them! There is enough food in Tapada for them, and they do not need unnatural foods, which can cause them some health problems. To be able to photograph them we must have some patience, walk slowly and without making too much noise, paying attention to everything. They are sometimes hidden among the vegetation, so walking slowly gives us time to discover them. Strange noises also end up scaring and scaring them away, we want to photograph them behaving naturally and not running away from us. And here comes another important factor: they must not go off the path! The animals are used to visitors staying in that space, which is the dirt path, as soon as someone leaves it and starts chasing them, they will flee to other locations. It is therefore essential to always stay on the indicated paths.
FALLOW DEER
The fallow deer (Dama dama) is smaller than the red deer, and the males have very beautiful antlers that look great in photographs. It's perhaps the easiest thing to photograph in Tapada, they walk everywhere and get really close. So, if you see one near the road, just walk slowly and you should get some beautiful photos.
RED DEER
The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is the largest of the deer that we can photograph in Tapada de Mafra. But they are not the easiest to find, they prefer to walk in small groups and rarely let themselves get close. On my last visit I was fortunate enough to photograph two females that were walking along the side of the road collecting acorns, they were so close that I had to photograph them with the Sony 90mm macro! And even then I had to be the one to walk away. The trick in this case was to join them in searching for acorns, and then place them in the middle of the road where they went to eat them, while I photographed them. After half a dozen acorns followed their initial path in search of more acorns and I followed mine.
WILD BOAR
When we see a wild boar (Sus scrofa) coming towards us we become apprehensive and think, should I run away or stay still and continue photographing? Knowing that I'm inside Tapada, I end up staying calm taking photos of them, in another place I would have to think twice. But they are friendly and stay there looking for food, at times one or the other ends up running and escaping. But they soon return to the same place, it's a matter of being patient.
I hope you enjoyed this short guide to 3 species that you can photograph on your visit to Tapada de Mafra. Avoid going on the weekend so as not to find Tapada full of visitors, and take your time to photograph the animals. Visit this place and share the photos.
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY?
When we're photographing, it's easy to lose track of what we should or shouldn't focus on, whether it's the most common species or the rarest, whether we're trying to photograph during the day or at night. I created some articles to show you what you can look for in certain places to photograph.
Find out which species to photograph during your visit to Tapada de Mafra: 3 Species to Photograph in Tapada de Mafra
Find out when to photograph different species of birds on the coast of Oeiras: 4 Species to Photograph on the Oeiras Promenade
SEE MY VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE
I created several videos about wildlife photography where I explain how to photograph different species and also some of the best photographic techniques. From photographing coastal birds to photographing the beautiful kingfisher, it's a little playlist that I hope you enjoy and leave a like on the videos.
Did you know you can learn more about photography with me in the field?
Check out the ONWILD page to stay up to date with all destinations, events and workshops! They can also learn more about photography and get to know other countries.