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An excellent itinerary, each day was different covering certain areas of North Devon to spot different plant, bird and butterfly species but we got back to the hotel at a reasonable time so that there was time to freshen up, go for a swim or paddle and enjoy the hotel facilities and surroundings before the checklist and evening meal. I fully enjoyed every day but the highlight was undoubtedly the trip to Lundy. We were very lucky with the weather and had an incredibly calm sailing both ways, but it is truly an amazing place and it was good to have the chance to go there. I think this was one of my most enjoyable Naturetrek holidays so far as it covered a wide range of topics and there was an excellent group ambience. We were lucky to have good weather.
S.D. East Yorkshire, Jun 23
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North Devon - Wildflowers, Butterflies & Seabirds
Tour Code: GBR70A 5-day exploration focusing on North Devon's diverse wildlife and stunning coastal scenery, based at a superb seaside hotel.
£1,295 (land only)
Highlights
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Summary
This tour goes in search of wonderful and diverse wildlife amidst the stunning coastal scenery of north Devon. Based for four nights in a wonderfully located seaside hotel, we’ll visit a variety of nature reserves and breathtaking landscapes, hoping to find their varied and fascinating flora and fauna. Marshes and dunes, which hide an abundance of orchids (such as Marsh Helleborine and Bee Orchid), are hunted over by Peregrine and Barn Owl, while rare High Brown Fritillaries flit amongst the ancient trees of Exmoor alongside Redstart, Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler. The island of Lundy, with its sheer rocky cliffs, supports breeding seabirds in their thousands – Puffins, Guillemots and Manx Shearwaters amongst them – and the surrounding waters contain dolphins, porpoises, Basking Sharks and Grey Seals.
- Visit the spectacular coastline of north Devon, and enjoy its varied flora & fauna
- Orchids including Bee Orchid, Early Marsh Orchid & Marsh Helleborine
- High Brown Fritillary, Pied Flycatcher & Redstart in Exmoor's wooded valleys
- Breeding seabirds on Lundy, including Puffin, Guillemot & Manx Shearwater
- Marine mammals such as Common & Bottlenose Dolphin, Harbour Porpoise & Grey Seal
- Superbly located hotel with views across stunning Woolacombe Bay
- Led by local naturalist Martin Batt, & guided by a variety of top north Devon wildlife experts
Grading
Grade B. Some easy walks using coastal paths, but also a lot of walking on sand and steep dunes, as well as narrow and steep paths in Exmoor and Lundy.
North Devon combines stunning coastal scenery with some of the UK’s most varied and fascinating wildlife. On this new and exciting tour, we’ll explore the region’s nature reserves and wild landscapes in search of their diverse flora and fauna, from abundant summer orchids and rare butterflies to rockpool creatures, marine mammals and spectacular seabird colonies. Our experience in North Devon will be enhanced by the support of a wide variety of renowned local wildlife specialists, as well as the unmatched expertise of Martin Batt, our tour leader, who knows this area intimately. All of this will be coupled with the superb hospitality of our delightful seaside hotel.
We will be based for four nights at the wonderful Woolacombe Bay Hotel, a 4-star hotel with a swimming pool and spa, overlooking the beach and adjacent to the remarkable Woolacombe Warren dune system. We’ll meet here, or at the nearest train station, in the afternoon, and after an early dinner we’ll enjoy our first excursion out into the dunes, looking out for Pyramidal Orchid and Wild Strawberry, Common Blue butterfly and Bloody-nosed Beetle, common coastal birds and a variety of other wildlife. During our stay at the hotel, we will ensure that there is ample time to enjoy the excellent facilities.
Over the next three full days we’ll explore the surrounding coast and inland areas in depth. The dunes and marshes at Braunton Burrows could produce up to seven species of orchid, including Bee Orchid, Early Marsh Orchid and the gorgeous Marsh Helleborine, as well as butterflies such as Marbled White and Dark Green Fritillary, and reptiles like Adder or even the rare Sand Lizard. Coastal birds could include Shelduck, Little Egret and Common Tern, while at dusk we’ll hope for Barn and Little Owls, Common and Soprano Pipistrelles and Greater Horseshoe Bat. Rich with Sessile Oak and Whitebeam, the nearby wooded valleys of Exmoor are the haunt of the threatened High Brown Fritillary, alongside typical birds such as Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler and Dipper.
A day trip to the famous isle of Lundy will take us to seabirds such as Puffin, Guillemot, Razorbill and Manx Shearwaters, as well as other breeding species like Wheatear, Rock Pipit and Peregrine. Soay Sheep, Sea Campion and the endemic Lundy Cabbage thrive amidst the rocky cliffs and grasslands, while the crossing itself could produce sightings of Common & Bottlenose Dolphins, Harbour Porpoise, Grey Seal or even Basking Shark. No aspect of natural history will be neglected on this fantastically varied tour!
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Accommodation:
We'll be staying for four nights at the 4-star Woolacombe Bay Hotel, a delightful hotel overlooking the beach, with superb rooms, a swimming pool and a spa.
- Food:
Breakfasts and dinners are included in the cost of the holiday. Drinks and lunches, which will be taken in a variety of local pubs, cafes and tea-rooms, are not included in the cost.
Reviews
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One of the best trips I have been on!!! Martin gauged the pace and contents of the tour perfectly. The evening walk on Monday along Woolacombe beach was lovely but the best day for me was the boat trip out to Lundy Island a place I have wanted to go to for a long time and I wasn't disappointed at all. It was a wonderful crossing on the MS Oldenburg on a very calm sea and plenty of sea birds to watch and photograph. A memory that will stay with me for a very long time. The itinerary and the guide, Martin, was perfectly well planned and thought out with plenty of interesting sights and I rate this holiday experience very highly. Naturetrek are an excellent operator to travel with and they are very attentive to any queries or requests. The one thing I particularly like about the company is when you ring them there is no pre recorded message that goes on and on and instead you are talking to a very experienced member of staff instantly who is able to answer any questions or deal with any concerns or queries quickly and efficiently with good communication all the way. I highly endorse Naturetrek as a top rated travel operator in their field!!!!
R.R. Oxfordshire, Jun 23
Dates & Prices
2025
Tour Leader: Martin Batt
2026
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[description] => Botanical Tours – See Wild Flowers with our Expert Botanical Guides
There are few more pleasing sights in the natural world than a meadow filled with wildflowers. Seeing plants in their native habitat is always exciting and our flower tours offer you an incredible choice, from dazzling tropical blooms and the thrill of finding elusive orchids or delicate alpines, to seeing island endemics or British flora. Our tours range from week-long holidays focusing on the ‘Alpine flowers of the Swiss Alps’, the ‘Italian Dolomites’ and the ‘Alpine Flowers of Slovenia’s Julian Alps’, to orchid-hunting on Italy’s Gargano Peninsula and searching for the Autumn Plants of Greece’s Peloponnese. We also visit more remote areas of the world in search of plant-life, from the Tien Shan Mountains of Kazakhstan where we look for wild tulips, to the rainforests and spiny deserts of Madagascar where over 80% of the flora is endemic.
Many of us want to know more about the plants we see around us. Whether inspired by an appreciation of the aesthetic appeal of flowers, or a more focused desire to identify individual species, everyone with an interest in botany will derive pleasure from joining one of Naturetrek’s flower tours.
Why choose Naturetrek’s botanical holidays?
- All our botanical holidays are led by expert botanist guides
- All levels of interest and expertise are catered for, from hobby gardeners and complete beginners to keen botanists who wish to explore a new area with the help of a knowledgeable leader
- We keep the overall focus on flora, though expert guidance is also given on other wildlife
What can I expect on a typical Naturetrek botanical holiday?
- Travel with a group of like-minded people
- Stay at a comfortable hotel or lodge, close to an area of outstanding botanical interest
- Enjoy a series of leisurely day excursions with ample time to appreciate the local flora
In addition to our dedicated flower tours, we also offer holidays with a wider theme to encompass birds, butterflies and other aspects of natural history as well as the flora. Our spring tours to 'Crete' and ‘The Island of Cyprus’ are both timed to allow us to enjoy the botanical highlights as well as the spring bird migration, whilst ‘Croatia and Slovenia – Spring in Istria’ also allows time to enjoy a little of the local culture. ‘Romania – the Wildlife of Transylvania’ combines an appreciation of the flora of the Carpathian Mountains with birding, butterflying and a trip to look for Brown Bears from a purpose built hide, and our holidays in both the ‘French Pyrenees’ and the ‘Spanish Pyrenees’ combine birds, butterflies and botany throughout the week.
Our specialist recommends...
David Tattersfield - Tour Leader
Short Break Wildlife Holidays
Among our programme is a significant range of short breaks, designed specially for those wishing to enjoy some of Europe’s top natural history highlights at the best time of year. All of these holidays have the bonus of being short-haul and supported by like-minded wildlife enthusiasts.
Naturetrek Short Break Wildlife Tours
Short breaks are becoming increasingly popular and in response to the high demand for this type of holiday we are continuing to increase our programme both within the UK and abroad. Most of our short breaks are within Europe, for convenience of travel.
For some of our mini-breaks there is an option to travel by plane or train, and we offer a choice of duration and type of break, from a weekend’s birdwatching in the Somerset Levels to a 6-day whale watching tour in the Azores.
A selection of our UK short breaks:
- A winter bird watching break in Norfolk
- An autumn holiday to enjoy the Red Deer rut in Ardnamurchan, Scotland
- A wildlife weekend in the New Forest
A selection of our overseas short breaks:
- In Spain we look for the world’s rarest cat, the Iberian Lynx
- Wolves on the plains in rural northern Spain
- An exploration of La Brenne’s exceptionally rich butterfly-life in northern France
Our specialist recommends...
"We offer two superb short breaks to the lovely island of Madeira in search of whales, dolphins and seabirds. It’s hard to beat our Just Brown Bears trip for families, while if you fancy something off the beaten track, try Estonia in Early Spring for some excellent spring birdwatching."
Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager
Birding Tours Led by Expert Naturalists
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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Butterfly Watching Holidays Led by Expert Naturalists
Who can fail to be delighted by butterflies – the intensity and variety of their colours, their delicate beauty and fascinating life cycles? Our tours allow butterfly-watching enthusiasts to observe marvellous species all around the world. Sadly, butterflies are in decline in many regions. To help prevent the loss of these beautiful creatures, our butterfly holidays make a direct contribution to their conservation.
Naturetrek Butterfly Tours
- We offer an excellent range of dedicated butterfly holidays
- All tours are led by a Naturetrek butterfly-watching expert
- Although butterflies are the main focus of our butterfly tours, we also take time to observe other wildlife
- By booking one of our dedicated butterfly holidays you will automatically be making a contribution to their conservation.
Here’s a selection of our dedicated butterfly tours:
Although we include butterfly-watching in many of our holidays, we offer a wide selection of dedicated butterfly tours, including:
- The Cevennes – we look for butterflies in the Massif Central
- Butterflies in Normandy – we go in search of some of Normandy’s 160 species of butterfly
- Sweden's Butterflies & Dragonflies – Sweden is home to Large Blue, Apollo, Scarce Copper and many more species
- Butterflies of the Dolomites – we explore sheltered valleys and butterfly hot-spots in the Italian Dolomites
- Sri Lanka - A Butterfly Tour – seeking Sri Lanka’s dazzling tropical species
- Butterflies of Morocco's High Atlas Mountains – a search for the butterflies of the High Atlas Mountains, with a wealth of other wildlife and mountain walks in spectacular scenery.
Naturetrek & Butterfly Conservation
As a top category ‘Gold’ corporate sponsor of Butterfly Conservation (BC), we donate around £1,500 annually to the charity. As well as this, since 2002 we have donated 10% of all income generated by our annual programme of butterfly tours that we run in partnership with BC, and give BC membership to all non-members joining the tours.
Our specialist recommends...
Tom Brereton - Operations Manager
Mammal Watching Holidays
Many of the world’s mammals are instantly recognisable to us. Animals such as Lions, Tigers, elephants and bears capture our imaginations from an early age. At Naturetrek, we take great pleasure and pride in helping people to fulfil their lifelong dreams of seeing these iconic species in the wild. We also enjoy introducing our clients to some of the world’s more unusual mammals, many of which are just as fascinating.
Naturetrek Mammal Watching Tours
Many of our tours have a primary focus on mammals and we offer the widest choices of mammal-watching holidays across the globe, from the poles to the tropics. Our holidays are guided by at least one professional naturalist tour leader and usually benefit from additional guiding by expert local naturalist guides. We have holidays to see an incredible range of the world’s most sought-after mammals, such as orangutans, lemurs, bats, polar mammals, big cats, and mammals of the African savannah. A significant number of tours also targets some of the planet’s more unusual and elusive species, from pottos and pangolins to slender lorises and obscure cetaceans.
Here’s a selection of our mammal tours:
- India’s Kanha and Pench Tiger Reserves
- A cruise to Spitsbergen in search of Polar Bears
- A chance to see the ‘Big Five’ and much more in South Africa’s Kruger National Park
- Search for Blue, Fin and Sperm Whales in the Azores
- Close-up views of Brown Bear and Wolverine in Finland
- Enjoy the mammals of Kenya’s Masai Mara, while staying in luxury camps
- Search for elusive nocturnal mammals, such as Aardvark, Black-footed Cat and Aardwolf, in the Kalahari Desert
Bargain mammal selection
We offer a range of action-packed bargain holidays for the dedicated mammal enthusiast, which are exceptional value for money, from Belize to Zambia.
Our specialist recommends...
Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager
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Flight-free Wildlife Holidays
At Naturetrek we make full use of the Eurostar rail service through the channel tunnel, and of the ferry routes between England’s south coast and France and Spain, to offer a range of ‘flightless’ wildlife holidays in Belgium, Holland, France and Spain. In addition, we also offer the widest selection of wildlife holidays within the UK, none of which require a flight to participate in. Therefore, if you prefer not to fly, for whatever reason, we have a range of varied and exciting wildlife holidays for you to choose from, and we are committed to regularly adding more.
It is also the case that many of our other holidays within Europe are also accessible by rail. Generally, where there’s a will, there’s a way, and we’d be pleased to offer advice to anybody who wishes to join any of our tours within Europe by a means other than flying!
Our specialist recommends...
Kerrie Porteous - 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!
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