# Ilhas Desertas (Site of Community Importance), Portugal: what it is and when to go

> Ilhas Desertas (Site of Community Importance) is a protected area in Portugal (Reserva Natural das Ilhas Desertas). Interests: Nature and Wildlife. The best time to visit is April to October. In June there are 14 h 07 of daylight, and in December, 9 h 52. It has articles in 2 Wikipedias, so it is not one of the busiest places in Portugal: one to enjoy at a calmer pace. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip.

- Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/desert-islands-nature-reserve/
- Reviewed on: 2026-10-02
- Language: en

## In a nutshell

- **What it is:** Protected area in Portugal · Nature, Wildlife
- **Local name:** Reserva Natural das Ilhas Desertas
- **Where:** Portugal
- **Best time:** April to October.
- **Nearest airport:** FNC Funchal, 33 km as the crow flies
- **Website:** [ifcn.madeira.gov.pt](https://ifcn.madeira.gov.pt/areas-protegidas/ilhas-desertas.html)
- **Run by:** Instituto das Florestas e Conservação da Natureza, IP-RAM
- **Coordinates:** 32.50254, -16.50828

## What it is and where

Ilhas Desertas (Site of Community Importance) is a protected area in Portugal (Reserva Natural das Ilhas Desertas). It has articles in 2 Wikipedias, so it is not one of the busiest places in Portugal: one to enjoy at a calmer pace.

Its coordinates are 32.50254, -16.50828; the nearest main airport is Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (FNC, Funchal), 33 km as the crow flies. How to get around Portugal (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/#moverse).

- [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=32.502536%2C-16.508279)
- [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=32.502536%2C-16.508279)

- **Run by:** Instituto das Florestas e Conservação da Natureza, IP-RAM

It is one of the [Nature](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/naturaleza/) and [Wildlife](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/fauna/) places in Portugal. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap.

## When to go

The best time to visit Ilhas Desertas (Site of Community Importance) is **April to October**.

| Mes | Época | Hours of daylight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| January | Possible | 10 h 05 |
| February | Possible | 10 h 51 |
| March | Possible | 11 h 46 |
| April | Best time | 12 h 48 |
| May | Best time | 13 h 40 |
| June | Best time | 14 h 07 |
| July | Best time | 13 h 56 |
| August | Best time | 13 h 12 |
| September | Best time | 12 h 11 |
| October | Best time | 11 h 11 |
| November | Possible | 10 h 18 |
| December | Possible | 9 h 52 |

In June there are 14 h 07 of daylight, and in December, 9 h 52. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather.

| What you come for | Best time | Possible |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nature | April to October | November to March |
| Wildlife | April to October | November to March |

It is not the same trip whatever you come for: Ilhas Desertas (Site of Community Importance) has a different season depending on what you want to do here, and [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) puts it in the right month for you.

When to go to Portugal in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/#cuando-ir).

## Before you go to Portugal

To enter Portugal there are 6 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Valid ID card (DNI) or passport”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the Portugal checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/#antes-de-salir). Currency: Euro (EUR); plugs: Type C and F · 230 V · 50 Hz (the same as in Spain); emergencies: 112.

In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it.

## What is nearby

- [Ponta da Agulha lighthouse](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/farol-da-ponta-da-agulha/): Lighthouse in Madeira, Portugal · 12 km
- [Farol da Ponta de São Lourenço](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/farol-de-sao-lourenco/): Lighthouse in Madeira, Portugal · 29 km
- [PR 8 - Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/pr-8-vereda-da-ponta-de-sao-lourenco/): Hiking · 32 km
- [Miradouro da Ponta do Rosto](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/ponta-do-rosto/): Geosite in Madeira, Portugal · 33 km
- [Igreja de São Salvador](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/igreja-matriz-de-santa-cruz/): Church in Santa Cruz, Madeira, Portugal · 34 km

Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the Portugal guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/).

## More in Portugal: Nature

- [Jerónimos Monastery](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/monasterio-de-los-jeronimos/): building in Santa Maria de Belém, Lisbon District, Portugal
- [Mount Pico](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/montana-del-pico/): stratovolcano in the Azores and the highest mountain of Portugal
- [Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/prehistoric-rock-art-sites-in-the-coa-valley-and-siega-verde/): paleolithic archaeological site in Portugal
- [Berlengas](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/reserva-natural-de-las-berlengas/): archipelago in Portugal
- [Alto Douro](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/alto-douro-wine-region/): UNESCO World Heritage Site
- [Peneda-Gerês National Park](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/parque-nacional-de-peneda-gerez/): protected area in Portugal

Every Portugal place under Nature, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/naturaleza/).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Ilhas Desertas (Site of Community Importance)?

It is a protected area in Portugal (Reserva Natural das Ilhas Desertas in the local language). It has articles in 2 Wikipedias, so it is not one of the busiest places in Portugal: one to enjoy at a calmer pace.

### When is the best time to visit Ilhas Desertas (Site of Community Importance)?

April to October. In June there are 14 h 07 of daylight, and in December, 9 h 52.

### How do you get to Ilhas Desertas (Site of Community Importance)?

The nearest main airport is Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (FNC), 33 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=32.502536%2C-16.508279) opens the route on the map, and how to get around Portugal is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/#moverse).

### How do I add it to my trip?

With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the Portugal map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby.

### What else is around here?

Nearby you have [Ponta da Agulha lighthouse](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/farol-da-ponta-da-agulha/), [Farol da Ponta de São Lourenço](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/farol-de-sao-lourenco/), [PR 8 - Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/pr-8-vereda-da-ponta-de-sao-lourenco/). The rest is in [the Portugal guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/portugal/).

Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/9378944), licensed under the ODbL, and from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10359750), CC0. More about Ilhas Desertas (Site of Community Importance) on [Wikipedia](https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserva_Natural_das_Ilhas_Desertas). Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).