Once a year, generally in the first week of September, Bird & Nature week participants will be invited in small groups to help catch Abbott’s Boobies high in the rainforest canopy, assist to colour-band Brown Boobies and monitor their colonies on the remote and secluded rocky coasts. Participants will work with our internationally renowned guides to study the nesting biology and foraging ecology of Christmas Island Frigatebirds and Red-tailed Tropicbirds. Depending on interest and demand, there will also be opportunities to assist in the colour-banding of Christmas Island Goshawks, a Christmas Island Hawk-Owl survey, seabird identification workshops, territory mapping of Island Thrushes and closer looks at the island’s other wildlife. Nightly pre-dinner seminars will showcase the results of all the seabird research, the status of the endemic landbirds, the rarities of Christmas Island, and the marine and terrestrial ecology of the island.

Golf is one of the favourite pastimes of Islanders and the Golf Course is well worth a try for professional golfers or first timers. The 9-hole golf course is situated amongst palm trees and tropical rainforest with a magnificent view of the Indian Ocean. Clubs are available for hire from the Christmas Island Visitor's Centre and visitors are most welcome. Christmas Island Frigates nest inland from the course and land crabs can be a local hazard.

One of Porto Santo’s best-known viewpoints, Miradouro da Portela, offers sweeping views to the north and south. From here, you can take in the entire southern half of the island, including the 9 km-long beach, and see how the island’s low peaks give it a surprisingly open, almost barren feel. On a clear day, Madeira even appears in the distance. A short walk will bring you to the island’s three remaining traditional windmills. Painted white and red with sturdy stone bases, they’re no longer in use but are wonderfully preserved and make a great spot for photos, framed by both the ocean and the inland hills. Portela gets especially magical at sunrise or sunset, when the light casts the bay in golden hues. It’s also easy to combine this stop with nearby attractions like Porto dos Frades natural pools or the Terra Chã hike.

Set in what used to be the country retreat for Pope Julius III, the Etruscan museum in Rome stores some impressive artefacts of the mysterious Etruscan and pre-Roman treasures. The Sarcophagus of the Spouses depicting a reclining man and woman on its lid is the masterpiece here and a true example of art from the 6th century BC.