Wildlife Holidays in Spain

The excitement is far from over when the ferry docks in northern Spain, as this is a region offering an astonishing range of wonderful wildlife. Not far from Santander are the superb Picos de Europa, a montane world of jagged limestone crags, tumbling scree slopes, subalpine pastures, and old-growth beech and oak forests. This is a haven for carnivores, offering some of Europe’s best opportunities to observe Iberian Wolf and the rare Cantabrian Brown Bear, alongside a mammalian supporting cast of European Wildcat, Pyrenean Chamois, Snow Vole and Wild Boar. The birdlife is equally superb, with Nutcracker and Crested Tit, Black and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers in the woodlands, and White-winged Snowfinch, Alpine Accentor and Alpine Chough above the tree line. Even more excitingly, the Picos (and particularly the high passes at Fuente De) are a global hotspot for sightings of Wallcreeper, flashing its striking red wings as it flutters amidst cliffs and boulders. Alpine Newts thrive in mountain pools, and butterflies like Apollo, Chapman’s Ringlet and Purple-edged Copper flit across meadows of Lizard and Fragrant Orchids.

Further to the east is another great mountain range: the Pyrenees. Even higher and more dramatic than the Picos, these skyscrapers of rock are the haunt of Lammergeier, Golden Eagle and Griffon Vulture, while dusk brings out the echoes of calling Eagle Owls across isolated valleys. Here, high meadows provide a home for colonies of Alpine Marmot, Clouded Apollo, Spanish Festoon and Camberwell Beauty, as well as floral blankets of Pyrenean Buttercup, Trumpet Gentian and Birdseye Primrose, while the marvellous Queen of the Pyrenees clings to sheer rock faces.

The central-western region of Extremadura is justly famous as one of Europe’s most rewarding areas for birdwatching. This is a bucolic landscape of shimmering plains, gentle Cork Oak pasturelands and quartz river cliffs; the open pseudo-steppe grasslands support flocks of Great and Little Bustards, alongside Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, European Roller, Montagu’s Harrier, Stone Curlew and abundant Calandra Lark, while the woodlands are bursting with further avian icons: Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Iberian Magpie, Woodchat Shrike, and many more besides. In the north of the region, Monfragüe is an unparallel haven for raptors, hosting vast numbers of Griffon, Cinereous and Egyptian Vultures, as well as Bonelli’s and Short-toed Eagle nesting alongside Peregrine Falcon and Black Stork; few places on Earth have such a concentration of giant flying birds. Close to Extremadura are the Gredos Mountains, where sought-after breeding targets include Bluethroat, Water Pipit and Rock Bunting, while wetlands below teem with thousands of wintering Common Cranes.

In Spain’s far south is Andalucia, and the Sierra Morena. Although only half the height of the Picos de Europa, they are no less wild – a fabulous expanse of forest-clad hills and hidden valleys. Within these secret depths thrives one of Europe’s (and the world’s) rarest and most compelling creatures: the Iberian Lynx. Once reduced to fewer than 100 individuals, numbers have happily rebounded and Naturetrek’s dedicated tours have an excellent success rate in finding them. They share their home with other mammals like Mouflon, Red and Fallow Deer, Iberian Ibex and European Otter, while woodland birds include Hawfinch and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, and Spanish Imperial Eagle often soars overhead. Many tours will combine the Sierra Morena with the Iberian Lynx’s other great stronghold: the wetlands of Donana National Park. In contrast to the varied topography of the mountains, Donana is a perfectly flat landscape of grassy heaths, pine forest and vast seasonal marshes, the last of these bringing in a breathtaking abundance of wetland birds. The reedbeds, swamps and open lagoons teem with avian life, from Greater Flamingo and Eurasian Spoonbill to Purple Swamphen, Marbled Duck, Glossy Ibis and the elusive Red-knobbed Coot.

Beyond the southern tip of Iberia is the Strait of Gibraltar: the shortest crossing point between Europe and Africa in the western Mediterranean. This makes it a magnet for birds completing their twice-annual migrations, often making the journey in huge flocks; spring and autumn sees large gatherings of White and Black Storks, Honey Buzzards, Black Kites and Booted Eagles, using coastal thermals to gain height before their brief cross-continental leap. As they cross, they will pass over a magnet for marine life; rising cold-water currents bring nutrients to the surface of the Strait, which in turn attract seabirds like Gannet and Cory’s Shearwater, as well as Striped and Bottlenose Dolphins, Long-finned Pilot and Sperm Whales. Whale-watching trips from the town of Tarifa regularly encounter four species or more of cetacean.

Also excellent for marine mammals are the Canary Islands, part of Spain but situated close to the north-west African coast. Here can be found a subtly different community of species, including Short-finned Pilot Whale, Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, and Bryde’s Whale. On land, habitats are extraordinarily varied, both across and within the different islands. Dense laurel forests on Gran Canaria and Tenerife are home to Laurel and Bolle’s Pigeons, while both islands also host their own endemic species of Blue Chaffinch. In dramatic contrast, the barren, Mars-like plains of Fuerteventura are a refuge for desert specialists – Houbara Bustard, Cream-coloured Courser and Trumpeter Finch – while dry river gorges are the only habitat of the unique Fuerteventura Chat. Birds are not the only island endemics here, with Canary Blue, Canary Brimstone and Canary Speckled Wood butterflies, and the enormous Gran Canaria Giant Lizard adding additional intrigue.

Last of all is another group of islands: the Balearics. Mallorca and Menorca are especially rewarding wildlife destinations, with their pine-fringed sandy bays, Mediterranean scrublands and freshwater marshes. Amongst the avian highlights here are Moustached and Balearic Warblers, Audouin’s Gull, a sedentary population of Egyptian Vulture, and late cliff-nesting Eleonora’s Falcons, which feed their young on autumn migrant songbirds. The islands also support over 30 endemic plants, including Balearic St John’s Wort, alongside purple coastal daisies and Loose-flowered Orchid. The Balearic Islands are just one of many fantastically compelling wildlife destinations across Spain; few countries in the world, and perhaps none in Europe, have quite so much to offer the natural history traveller.

What's special about its wildlife?

Spain is an extraordinary country for wildlife. It is the greatest Western European refuge for a range of iconic large mammals, including many carnivores; several thousand Iberian Wolves roam the rural interior, and the Cantabrian Mountains are home to a small but highly visible population of Brown Bear. What was until recently the world’s rarest wild cat, the Iberian Lynx, is once again thriving, and a stellar supporting cast consists of European Wildcat, Eurasian Otter and Pyrenean Chamois, as well as fascinating marine mammals throughout the Spanish seas such as Fin and Cuvier’s Beaked Whales, Common Dolphins and Long-finned Pilot Whale. All these creatures combine to make Spain a world-leading mammal-watching destination.

It is equally spectacular for birds. Whether it’s Wallcreepers in the Picos de Europa, Lammergeier in the Pyrenees, Hoopoes, Rollers and Bee-eaters in Extremadura, flamingos in Donana, or vast flocks of migrating storks and vultures passing over the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain is a country where avifauna exists on a massive and kaleidoscopic scale. When you consider too its extraordinary botanical richness, its dazzling array of butterflies and other insects, and impressive diversity of reptiles and amphibians, and it’s easy to see why Spain is so irresistible to visiting naturalists.