Wildlife & birdwatching holiday in Andalucia, Spain
| country: | Spain |
| location: | Andalucia |
| departures: | 2009: 2 May |
| price: | From £910 (8 days) including flights from the UK and from £730 excluding flights based on 2 sharing |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Come to Andalucia and witness the spectacular spring migration in this bird watcher's paradise.
Andalucía, where Europe and Africa meet has a fascinating mix of colours, culture and people. Spring is spectacular as thousands of migrating birds make their way from their wintering grounds in Africa to Europe. This trip is a bird watcher’s and photographer’s paradise as we take in some of the most impressive sites in the region. We will explore Donana National Park on foot and by river boat, looking for the rare Imperial Eagle and many of the 250 species of birds found in Andalucía. There will also be a chance to visit two conservation projects, a wolf sanctuary and a donkey sanctuary, to hear about their work.
Andalucía, where Europe and Africa meet has a fascinating mix of colours, culture and people. Spring is spectacular as thousands of migrating birds make their way from their wintering grounds in Africa to Europe. This trip is a bird watcher’s and photographer’s paradise as we take in some of the most impressive sites in the region. We will explore Donana National Park on foot and by river boat, looking for the rare Imperial Eagle and many of the 250 species of birds found in Andalucía. There will also be a chance to visit two conservation projects, a wolf sanctuary and a donkey sanctuary, to hear about their work.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | The Adventure Begins. Arrive at London Gatwick Airport for your flight to Malaga. On arrival, you will be welcomed by Keith, who will then transfer you, by minibus to your hotel in Antequera. You will be staying at Coso San Francisco, a friendly hotel with ensuite rooms. The afternoon will be spent visiting Antequera’s Neolithic dolmens, which rank among the most important historically in Europe, along with a tour of this historic town with a local guide. The evening will be spent relaxing at your hotel.. |
| Day 2: | Subbetica natural park, donkey sanctuary and Fuente de Piedre. After breakfast, you will travel to Zuheros, a small hill town in Subbetica National Park. This is a beautiful and typical Andalucian hill town, which is famous for its Cuevas de los Murchelayos, or ‘Cave of the Bats’. We will take a tour of the caves, which feature cave paintings and an impressive array of stalagmites and stalagtites. In the afternoon, we will visit a donkey sanctuary to see their work with rescued donkeys as well as spending some time at Fuente de Piedre, which is famous for its breeding colony of Greater Flamingos on the salt lagoon. This is only the second place in Europe were they breed. The reserve is well served by many species of waterbirds, wild flowers and butterflies. |
| Day 3: | Ronda and Sanlucar. In the morning we will leave Antequera and spend the afternoon in Ronda. En- route there will be a stop in Olvera, where nesting lesser kestrels soar around the huge rock on which a castle is built in the oldest part of the town; a most unique visual experience which is only a short distance from Ronda. We will have lunch here and spend the afternoon enjoying the spectacular views from the bridge over the river. The evening will be spent in Sanlucar on the River Guadalquivir, an hour’s drive from Ronda. |
| Day 4: | After breakfast you will travel to Donaña National Park. This is Europe’s largest nature reserve which is of huge importance, and home to two of Europe’s most endangered species: the Iberian Lynx and the Spanish Imperial Eagle. The day will be spent in the reserve area visiting different sites of interest. We will hopefully see some impressive birds, wildflowers and butterflies unique to this area. Lunch will be in the town of El Rocio, an interesting area adjacent to the reserve. The town has a huge church overlooking the marches and a famous bridge from which Victorian naturlists used to observe birds long before it became a nature reserve. The evening will be spend relaxing back at our hotel in Sanlucar. |
| Day 5: | Coto de Donaña national park. Today you will take a boat trip along Rio Guadalquivir into Donaña national park, bird watching along the way. After the boat trip you can take guided walks to further explore the park and then spend time bird watching and looking for wild flowers and butterflies. There will also be the opportunity to visit a sherry bodega, where the sherry is produced, before returned to our hotel in Sanlucar. |
| Day 6: | Tarifa. Tarifa, the most southerly positioned town in Spain, is a prime location for all migratory birds. At this time of year birds will be crossing the 14 kilometres across the Straight of Gibraltar from Morocco, to spend their summer in Europe. You will spend the day watching the birds and see how many of the 200 species that pass through this migratory bottleneck you can spot. Tonight will be your last night in Sanlucar. |
| Day 7: | Ronda and Lobo Park wolf sanctuary. This morning you will travel to the historic town of Ronda, situated in a dramatic position spanning a river gorge. Here you can watch choughs flying gracefully around the sheer cliff faces. In the evening you will visit the Lobo Park wolf sanctuary to enjoy a barbeque and a guided tour. The sanctuary has four large enclosures housing European, Timber, Iberian and the rare white Alaska - Tundra wolves. Your last night will be spent back at Coso San Francisco in Antequera. |
| Day 8: | Goodbye. After a leisurely breakfast you will travel back to Malaga airport for your return journey home. |
how this holiday makes a difference
|
In line with our strong beliefs in responsible tourism our guests in Andalucía will stay in locally run hotels, where they can sample homecooked food such as the tapas that is typical of the region. Food is bought and often grown locally and the restaurants where you will dine are locally run. You can also rest assured that a fair price has been paid for all your travel, guides, accommodation and meals.
When searching for wildlife your guides will be experts in the flora and fauna of Andalucía. With the exception of the overheads for our small UK office, all of the money paid for the trip remains in Spain - with Spanish people and projects. Aside from the economical issues, using local guides ensures you will learn from the best when it comes to the indigenous and endemic flora and fauna of Spain and the conservation projects and plans to protect them. We provide our clients with advice on responsible travel behaviour and keep the group size small to reduce the possibility of any negative impacts on the areas you visit. The leaders are also keen to educate you during your time with them and you will leave knowing more about the wildlife, conservation programmes and way of life in the region of Andalucía. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |