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It was the first one of its type in southern Spain. Having two knee replacements limits me to the type of bird holiday I can do. It was full of fantastic bird adventures at my pace. In the afternoons it was culture about the area which was optional so you could also do your own thing if you wanted. The hotel was very good, situated in the town so you were minutes away from restaurants, shops and places to visit. I really enjoyed the slow pace and would definitely look to do a similar holiday again... The local tour leader Luis was very knowledgeable of where to find the birds. He had also sourced different restaurants each night to give a taste of all Malaga's special dishes. Rob the English tour guide was very helpful with anything that was needed. Also full of bird knowledge and they were able to answer any questions that we asked. They took the worry out the trip so you didn't have think about anything, apart from having a fantastic holiday.
T.B. Guernsey, May 19
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Go Slow in Southern Spain
Tour Code: ESP52A gentle-paced week in the Mediterranean, combining some spring birdwatching with the region's cultural, historical and gastronomic highlights.
£2,495 (Inc flights)
£2,295
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
During this ‘Go Slow’ tour, based at a highly rated hotel in the heart of historic Malaga, we hope to showcase both the varied birdlife of the Costa del Sol and to immerse ourselves in some of the elegant historical, cultural and gastronomic highlights of the city.
Our birdwatching excursions will take us to karst plateau, mountains, lakes, gorges and marshes in search of El Torcal, a stunning karst plateau in the very heart of Malaga province on which several sought-after Mediterranean species breed. These include summer visitors such as Black-eared Wheatear, Orphean, Subalpine and Melodious Warblers, as well as resident mountain birds such as Griffon Vulture, Blue Rock Thrush and Rock Bunting.
The proximity of these productive birding sites to our base will leave us with time to enjoy the historic city of Malaga and its many places of interest, including the Roman Theatre, the Picasso Museum, La Concepcion Botanical Gardens and the magnificent cathedral. This is a tour for those who like to combine birding on holiday with other interests, and it should certainly appeal to the ‘foodies’ among you. We hope you will join us!
- Up to 18 species of raptor, plus a wealth of migrant passerines
- Wetlands thronged with breeding ducks, terns and flamingoes
- Woodland and scrub species including warblers, Firecrest, Crested Tit, Orphean Warbler and Woodchat Shrike
- Beautiful hotel in historic Malaga, close to restaurants, museums and galleries
- Varied scenery includes mountains, forests and river valleys, many designated UNESCO and Natura 2000 sites
During this ‘Go Slow’ tour, based at a highly rated hotel in the heart of historic Malaga, we hope to showcase both the varied birdlife of the Costa del Sol and to immerse ourselves in some of the elegant historical, cultural and gastronomic highlights of the city.
Beginning with direct regional flights from around the UK to Malaga, each day on tour will involve a full morning’s birdwatching to a range of habitats within an easy drive of our hotel. After a full morning out and a picnic lunch, a period of rest and relaxation will follow before a cultural visit and an evening dinner either in our hotel or in a selection of Malaga’s excellent restaurants, each hand-picked for tastiness and authenticity.
Our birdwatching excursions will take us to karst plateau, mountains, lakes, gorges and marshes in search of El Torcal, a stunning karst plateau in the very heart of Malaga province on which several sought-after Mediterranean species breed. These include summer visitors such as Black-eared Wheatear, Orphean, Subalpine and Melodious Warblers, as well as resident mountain birds such as Griffon Vulture, Blue Rock Thrush and Rock Bunting.
An hour from the city, the lake of Fuente de Piedra holds the second largest Greater Flamingo breeding colony in the Mediterranean. Gull-billed Terns and Red-crested Pochards breed here while surrounding farmland supports Crested and Calandra Larks and Montagu’s Harriers, while just north of Malaga, the nature reserve of Montes de Malaga offers a mosaic of different habitats, fine views and birds such as Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Firecrest and Short-toed Treecreeper.
‘El Chorro’ is the name given by locals to the Desfiladero de Los Gaitanes (Gorge of the Vultures) Nature Reserve. It is the spectacular gorge in which three rivers converge to form the lower Guadalhorce. The stunning cliffs of the gorge, of great interest to geologists, are home to Griffon Vultures, Red-billed Choughs, Peregrine, Rock Bunting, Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Dartford Warbler and Crag Martin. By way of contract, the protected saltmarsh and reedbeds of the Guadalhorce estuary today comprises what remains of what was once a vast marsh that extended over the whole delta of the river. We’ll look for the sought-after White-headed Duck and Kentish Plover here, as well as Black-winged Stilt, Little Bittern, Audouin’s and Slender-billed Gulls.
The proximity of these productive birding sites to our base will leave us with time to enjoy the historic city of Malaga and its many places of interest, including the Roman Theatre, the Picasso Museum, La Concepcion Botanical Gardens, the magnificent cathedral and the bay which we will explore by means of a boat trip. This is a tour for those who like to combine birding on holiday with other interests, and it should certainly appeal to the ‘foodies’ among you. We hope you will join us!
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation:
This holiday is based in a wonderful 4-star hotel (the Molina Lario) in the centre of historic Malaga.
- Food:
All food is included in the price. Breakfast in the hotel. Lunches a mixture of picnics and hotel lunches. Dinners out in some wonderful eateries in Malaga!
Reviews
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The birds we saw and in a stunning landscape. All the birding places visited were good. The trip to the Alacazbar, Picasso museum and the Botanical gardens. Having a local guide as well as a UK one. High standard of hotel in-terms of rooms and food. Dining out in Malaga restaurants.
M.P. Berkshire, May 19
Dates & Prices
2025
2026
Tour Leader: Niki Williamson
Niki was given a YOC membership for her 6th birthday, and has loved nature ever since. She worked and volunteered for the RSPB for 12 years, managing habitats, brandishing power tools with varying levels of success, and honing her birding skills in some of the best wetland, upland and coastal habitats in the UK. She was part of the Eastern England Farmland Advisory team for eight years, working with nature-friendly farmers to make the countryside a better place for wildlife, eventually heading up the team. Niki is particularly passionate about the plight of the Turtle Dove and was part of Operation Turtle Dove, working to ensure a future for this desperately declining bird. As well as the UK, this work took her to West Africa, where she worked closely with Conservation Grade to survey migratory and resident farmland bird species and their habitat needs, to see how local growers could produce peanuts in a way that is fair to nature and of benefit to wintering migrants. Niki now lives in Southern Spain, near Tarifa, where she has worked full time as a wildlife guide for four years, with a focus on showing people the wondrous migration spectacle of the Straits of Gibraltar. She leads tours here for Naturetrek in spring, autumn and summer, and also leads in various other destinations across Spain, including Coto Doñana, Sierra de Morena, Extremadura, Serranía de Ronda, as well as across the straits in Northern Morocco.
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The majority of our wildlife tours focus primarily on birds, allowing us to offer a huge choice of bird holidays. On most of our birdwatching tours we aim to see a wide variety of species, while taking time to enjoy other wildlife as well as cultural highlights and architecture.
Naturetrek Birdwatching Tours
We have one of the largest selections of professionally organised, small group birdwatching holidays around the world and all of our birdwatching tours are accompanied by at least one professional ornithologist leader with detailed knowledge of the area.
The majority of our bird tours have a relaxed, flexible approach which allows more time for photography, detailed wildlife exploration, leisure time and the region’s people, culture, history and architecture, while allowing the group to see a wide range of bird species.
Here is a small selection of our many bird holidays:
- Southern Morocco – an exploration of the birdlife in Morocco’s southern deserts, oases and mountains
- The Camargue in Spring – a short break to enjoy the spring birds of the Rhône Delta and Camargue wetland
- Wallcreepers & Cranes in Northern Spain – a 2-centre holiday focusing on Lammergeier, Wallcreepers, raptors, Cranes, bustards, sandgrouse and more!
- Madeira & Desertas Islands – A Seabird Extravaganza! – a short break focusing on special breeding seabirds, including a night on the remote Destertas Islands
- Peru – Macaws & Machu Picchu – searches for boobies, macaws and Inca Terns
- Spain & Morocco: Birding on Two Continents! – watch the spectacular spring bird migration from both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar
Our Bargain Birdwatching Selection
Our Bargain Bird Tours are intensive birdwatching holidays suitable for the serious birder. They are led by expert English-speaking local guides (and not accompanied from the UK by a tour leader). You can expect a higher-paced tour and to spend long hours in the field.
Our specialist recommends...
Byron Palacios - Tour Leader
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Relaxed Wildlife Holidays
Our programme of Go Slow wildlife holidays allows guests to enjoy the natural world at a more leisurely pace than on one of our conventional wildlife holidays. There will be more time to relax, more time to potter, excursions will be optional and we hope you will return, not only having enjoyed a fascinating mix of birds, plants and other wildlife, but also feeling refreshed and relaxed!
Our Go Slow tours range from week-long holidays that offer warm spring sunshine and gentle natural history excursions in Portugal, the Camargue and Mallorca, to tours which take on a more cultural air each afternoon, such as Go Slow … in Istria in Autumn and Go Slow … in Southern Spain. Our Go Slow holidays in the Swiss Alps and Cyprus both combine the best of the region’s botany and birdlife, or, if you would like to travel a little further afield, why not join us for a leisurely-paced exploration of India’s Tiger Country, Kenya’s Masai Mara, or South Africa’s Western Cape?
What can I expect on a typical Naturetrek Go Slow holiday?
On each Go Slow holiday we aim to offer as many of the following as possible:
- A single-centre holiday
- Direct flights with sociable timings
- Comfortable hotel of high quality (with swimming pool if possible), serving meals of a high standard
- Leisurely paced walks on gentle terrain
- Expert leaders, as ever, with more time for interpretation & explanation
- A maximum of 6 hours in the field each day (9.30am-3.30pm with picnic lunch or two 3-hour excursions)
- Morning and afternoon toilet/comfort stops
- Minimal long drives
- Back in time for afternoon tea
- All excursions optional
- All-inclusive cost (except bar drinks & laundry)
- Time to relax, read, paint, potter, swim or enjoy anything else that you might wish to do!
Our specialist recommends...
Andy Tucker - Operations Manager
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
Enquire
Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
