There is no country in the Mediterranean that offers such a wealth of stunning scenery, diverse natural habitats, Romanesque architecture, ancient fortified hilltop villages and superb bird watching as Spain. For two weeks, we’ll travel the entire length of this sun-drenched land, from a vantage point near Gibraltar where the Moroccan coastline is only 10 kilometres away, across the vast open plains where Great Bustards still gather and Imperial Eagles soar overhead, to the lofty heights of the Pyrenees Mountains.
Itinerary
(Breakfast - B, Lunch - L, Dinner - D)
Day 1 Sat. April 5
Depart North America
Our journey to Spain will start today as we leave North America and fly directly to London, England.
Day 2 Sun April 6
London to Malaga, Spain
After arriving in London in the early morning, we will connect with a direct flight to Malaga, Spain. Here our English-speaking guide, who will take us to the town of Ronda and our hotel for the night, will meet our group. After checking in to the hotel, we will have a quick orientation meeting and start our tour by visiting the spectacular Ronda Gorge and Cliffs.
o/n Hotel Maestranza, Ronda (D)
Day 3 Mon April 7
Los Alcornocales National Park
After breakfast, we’ll travel through Los Alcornocales National Park, a densely forested region that is one of the world’s largest cork oak forests and Europe’s most extensive Mediterranean woodlands. We’ll be making regular stops in the forest that is home to such mammals as Roe Deer, Genet, Polecat and Badger and where such birds as Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle and Egyptian Vulture are also found. During our stops, we’ll be able to enjoy rhododendron and laurel, two of the flowering bushes in the region and passerine birds like the Long-tailed Tit, Bee-eater and Nightingale. In the afternoon, we’ll reach the small fishing village of Zahara de los Atunes, north of Tarifa, and our very comfortable beach hotel for the night.
o/n Hotel Antonio, Zahara de los Atunes (B, L, D)
Day 4 Tues April 8
Raptor Migration Viewpoint
This morning, depending on wind strength and direction, we’ll be heading to a raptor migration viewpoint, which can be one of the more exciting birding spots on the continent. Even on quiet days, hundreds of Black Kites may be seen along with smaller numbers of Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Egyptian Vultures and Marsh Harriers crossing the Straits of Gibraltar from Morocco. We may also see Black and White Storks soaring over the coastline in large kettles.
o/n Hotel Antonio, Zahara de los Atunes (B, L, D)
Day 5 Wed April 9
Seville
Today, we make our way to El Rocio, close to the entrance of Coto Doñana Nature Reserve. On the way we’ll stop in Seville, one of Spain’s most beautiful cities. Combining the old and the new, this city, built along the Guadalquivir River, hosts many palaces, monasteries, churches and cathedrals. We will walk through the old part of town, the Barrio Santa Cruz, formerly the district of Moors and Jews, who have left their influence in the architecture of the area. Here stand Seville’s Cathedral and the King’s Palace Alcazar, in its typical Moorish style, surrounded by high walls. While in this area, we will stop for a traditional tapis lunch at one of the many local restaurants. We will also visit some of the other parts of the city before departing.
o/n Hotel Cortijo Golf, El Rocio (B, L, D)
Days 6 -7 Thurs April 10 – Fri April 11
Coto Doñana Nature Reserve
During the next two days, with the help of English-speaking park guides we’ll explore this exciting, wilderness park and its mosaic of habitats. On one of these days we will be using 4-wheel drive jeeps to access the more remote regions of the park.
The Coto Doñana, estate of Do a Ana, so called after the wife of the Duke of Medina Sidonia, is the largest national park in Spain and one of the oldest, as well as being one of the most important wetlands in Europe.
The Parque Nacional de Doñana is essentially, the delta of the Guadalquivir, the 'big river', and consists of beaches, coastal mobile dunes, freshwater marshes, ponds and Cork Oak forests.
Spring is an exciting time to be here for this is when the park draws in huge flocks of breeding birds. In the marshes, amid the cork oak forests, we’ll have a good chance of seeing Squacco and Purple Herons, Lanner Falcons, Great and Cattle Egrets, Glossy Ibis and Little Bitterns from well-placed bird blinds. If we're lucky we may also catch a glimpse of a Spanish Imperial Eagle, now down to 14 breeding pairs. The Lynx and Egyptian Mongoose, both in danger of extinction, continue to hang on in this park.
Overhead, vast flocks of Whiskered Terns, along with a few Gull-billed Terns and Collared Pratincoles, wheel and circle. Red-rumped Swallows, European Bee-eaters and European Rollers perch on fence posts and wires. All in all, this will be a memorable nature experience for we will be in Parque Nacional de Doñana at the right time of the season to see it at its very best.
o/n Hotel Cortijo Golf, El Rocio (B, L, D)
Day 8 Sat April 12
Sierra del Arrenca Nature Reserve
As we begin our journey to the Extremadura region, we’ll stop at Sierra de Aracena Natural Park, a nature reserve of wooded hills bordering Portugal and the Picos de Aroche. This park is quite diverse with Cork Oaks and much eucalyptus. Its large hare population provides the staple diet for vultures, eagles and mammals such as badger and stone martins. During our time here, we’ll be able to walk along some of the drovers’ trails, bridle-paths & footpaths that weave their way through chestnut & cork oak forests. These woods harbour interesting birds like the Great Spotted Cuckoo and Azure-winged Magpie. In the afternoon, we’ll arrive at Torrejon El Rubio Village and our hotel for the night.
o/n Hospederia Parque de Monfrague (B, L, D)
Day 9 Sun April 13
Monfragüe National Park
For the next two days, we will be exploring the spectacular region of Extremadura and the wonderful array of plains birds and a variety of evocative landscapes. We’ll be immersed in the open, rolling steppes, the managed parkland, and the rugged mountain ranges of the Parque Natural de Monfragüe.
This morning, we’ll meet with park guides and begin our full day visit to the Parque Natural de Monfragüe, renowned for its raptors. Situated 45 km north of Trujillo, the park is one of the Spanish strongholds for Black Vulture, which breeds together with both Griffon and summering Egyptian Vultures. Eagles are also well represented with the star birds being around 10 pairs of Spanish Imperial Eagle, which, with a total population of 120 or so pairs, is one of the world's most endangered raptors. Golden and Bonelli's Eagles are resident and are joined in spring by Booted and Short-toed Eagles. Several of these species breed on and around the dramatic pinnacle of Peñafalcón which also harbours Chough, Crag Martin, Alpine Swift, Black Redstart, Blue Rock Thrush and Rock Bunting, together with breeding Eagle Owls nearby. In spring, it is also one of the easiest places in Europe to watch shy Black Storks at a breeding site.
Nearby valleys hold good stands of the open oak woodland, where we hope to find good numbers of Azure-winged Magpie in its European stronghold and keep our eyes open for the scarce Black-shouldered Kite. The fields of wild flowers should be at their best in April and will echo to the calls of quail and singing larks.
o/n Hospederia Parque de Monfrague (B, L, D)
Day 10 Mon April 14
Belen Steppes
The wide-open steppe-like plains, south of the town of Trujillo, form part of the "Spanish Steppes". This is a unique and incredibly distinctive part of Europe with its picturesque villages and huge savannah-like landscapes being home to a number of fascinating birds. It is here that we hope to see Great Bustard performing its incredible breeding display in which the male turns itself into a huge white pom-pom of feathers. Little Bustards are usually abundant, and we also hope to see both Pin-tailed and the more common Black-bellied Sandgrouse. In the afternoon we’ll make our way to Toledo and our hotel for the evening.
o/n Hotel Husa Alphonso VI, Toledo (B, L, D)
Day 11 Tues April 15
El Burgo de Osma
This morning we’ll have a city tour of the historic town of Toledo with its many towers, old gates, narrow, winding streets, massive houses. Its predominantly Moorish architecture gives it a medieval atmosphere and it undoubtedly is one of the architectural highlights of Europe. After lunch we’ll continue our drive to Canon de Rio Lobos Natural Park, on the outskirts of El Burgo de Osma. We’ll stop here and enjoy this canyon park with its steep rocky cliffs and numerous caves before checking into our hotel for the night.
o/n Hotel Rio Ucero (B, L, D)
Day 12 Wed April 16
Zaragoza – Pyrenees Mountains
During a short bus tour of El Burgo de Osma, it will quickly become apparent that its rich historic and artistic heritage is the result of more than two thousand years of existence. The Iberians, Romans, Moors, Jews and Christians have all left their mark in this city.
We will continue on our drive north, with key stops along the way, into the higher forests and alpine zone of the Pyrenees Mountains, on the border of Spain and France.
o/n Hotel Ordesa, Torla (B, L, D)
Days 13–14 Thurs April 17 – Fri April 18
Ordesa National Park
For the next two days we will be exploring the largest protected area in the Pyrenees, Ordesa National Park, adjoining the
Pyrenees National Park across the French border. Long renowned for its exceptional beauty and fascinating range of plants and animals, the park has extensive forests of beech and pine, a number of caves, fast-flowing rivers and glaciers. As we walk the trails, we’ll be sure to enjoy the magnificent wilderness features of this park. The valley floor is home to forests of firs and beeches while, on the slopes, tough dwarf mountain pine hold out up to the tree line. Above the tree line are beautiful alpine shrubs and meadows, with many seasonal wildflowers such as the colourful Yellow Turk's, St and Martagon Lilies, and Spanish Iris. The floral types vary widely with altitude from high alpines and Pyrenean endemics to familiar lowland plants like dog rose honeysuckle and snapdragon. These lower altitude species flourish in the microclimates created in narrow ravines and other sheltered spots.
Ordesa National Park was originally set aside to protect the Pyrenean Ibex, a wild goat. Ironically, this animal is still in decline, along with the Lammergeier, a type of bearded vulture, which also relies on this type of habitat. On the plus side, however, many other species are flourishing in this otherwise well managed park. The valley is famous for its raptors, and shelters 171 species of birds, including Golden Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Black Woodpecker, White-throated Dipper and Griffon Vulture. There are also 32 mammals species, including Wild Boar, Marmot, River Otter, Red Fox, Chamois Deer and, especially, the only herds of Pyrenees Mountain Goats in existence.
o/n Hotel Ordesa, Torla (B, L, D)
Day 15 Sat April 19
Drive to Madrid
Today we will leave the Pyrenees, and drive to Madrid. We should arrive mid-afternoon, and have time to walk around before our farewell dinner.
(B, L, D)
o/n Hotel Agumar or similar, Madrid
Day 16 Sun April 20
Departure Day
This is our departure day, and there will be an airport transfer for group flights.
