Spain - The Best of Coto Donana in Winter

Tour Code: ESP09

A thorough, 5-day exploration of the magnificent Coto Doñana National Park in search of the incredible birdlife of both its best and least-known corners, in the company of local conservationists.

5 days from
£1,295 (Inc flights)
Land only price from
£1,175
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Highlights

Summary

Summary

The Coto Doñana is regarded as one of the best birdwatching sites in Europe and rightly so. At all times of year this superb wilderness of wetlands and woodland is teeming with birds! On this short winter break we explore a great range of habitats and birds will range from the great numbers of wintering wildfowl and waders to a whole host of raptors including Spanish Imperial Eagle and Black-winged Kite. Bluethroat winter here and are another highlight, while mammals may even include the Iberian Lynx if we are lucky within the private reserve! With so much to offer a visit to Coto Doñana is a must!

  • An ideal short birding break with such a variety of species on offer
  • A great range of habitats visited with highlights from Bluethroat to Black Stork
  • Based in the fascinating "Wild West" town of El Rocío
  • Lagoon just behind the hotel holds superb array of species

Grading

Grade A. Easy birdwatching walks.

In 1956 a team of distinguished ornithologists organised an expedition to explore the wilderness of marshes and woodland along the Guadalquivir River in southern Spain known as the Coto Doñana. At a time when foreign travel was still a remote dream for most people, the subsequent account of the expedition in Guy Mountfort’s classic book ‘Portrait of a Wilderness’ made exciting reading and inspired ambitions to visit this remarkable area. Nearly seven decades later, the Coto Doñana is still regarded as one of the best birdwatching sites in Europe but it owes its continued existence to the efforts of dedicated conservationists, who have fought against a myriad of threats, ranging from encroachment by farming and tourist developments, to a serious chemical pollution incident. Although the central core of the area was declared a national park in 1969, the conservation struggle continues, but each spring and autumn the marshes still attract an amazing variety of birds and offer one of the greatest ornithological spectacles on the continent.

We begin our holiday in Seville, famous for its oranges and Moorish architecture, from where we will drive south-west to the town of El Rocío, a delightful and elegant village that overlooks the lagoon, river and marshlands that lie within the Coto Doñana National Park. With its white-washed buildings (that include a magnificent church) and its unmetalled sandy streets, there is something of the American Wild West about this village! It also makes a fine base as we explore the wide range of habitats in the region: the mosaic of marshes, Stone Pine woodland, open grassland and heathland, freshwater pools and coastal sand dunes. Here we will enjoy the large numbers of birds of prey that are present in the park, together with numerous other migrants, including storks, herons, waders, ducks, gulls and terns. We will also look for some of the region’s specialities, amongst them Purple Gallinule, Marbled Teal, Crested Coot and the rare Spanish Imperial Eagle (seven pairs of which occur here). Additionally, in the drier habitats, we will search for such species as Iberian Magpie, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Tawny Pipit, Lesser Short-toed Lark and Red-necked Nightjar. A range of mammals may also be encountered in this part of the park, most notably the Iberian Lynx, of which a handful remain in this corner of Andalucia, together with Red and Fallow Deer, Hares and Rabbits all, potentially, to be found on the menu of this endangered cat!

For the latter half of our holiday we will focus on the marshes and paddy fields in the eastern part of the Doñana, where the birding is excellent. We will focus, in particular, on a vast area of 11,300 hectares at the heart of the Guadalquivir Marshes that is included within the Doñana Nature Reserve and comprises an extensive area of ‘naturally’ farmed fishponds, pastures for cattle grazing, and rice paddies — all areas being organically farmed with great awareness of, and provision for, the vast numbers of birds attracted to this avian paradise. Avocets, Collared Pratincoles, White Storks, Slenderbilled Gulls, Gull-billed Terns and many other wetland bird species all nest in good numbers, whilst in winter hundreds of thousands of ducks and waders thrive here. The site also supports large numbers of Greater Flamingoes and Purple Gallinules, as well as Marbled Teal and the occasional White-headed Duck. It is an experience which will undoubtedly provide one of the highlights of this holiday.

Both in spring and in winter one cannot help but be impressed by the sheer number of birds here. Pools are crowded with herons and egrets, flocks of terns swoop over the marshes, and the sky is filled with raptors. With practice, some of the less familiar songs may also be identified: the scratchy warbling of Subalpine and Spectacled Warblers in the scrub, or perhaps the persistent rattle of a Cirl Bunting. Chirping tree-frogs and crickets remind us that not all the sounds are produced by birds and the fragrance of a myriad of flowers ensure that the Doñana experience envelops all of our senses!

Raptor enthusiasts will be delighted by the abundance of birds of prey inhabiting the Doñana, amongst them Griffon Vultures, Short-toed and Booted Eagles, Goshawks, harriers and both Red and Black Kites, but it will inevitably be the sights and sounds of the marismas that will leave the most indelible memory of our visit to this fragile Spanish wilderness.

DETAILED INFORMATION
Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1
Fly Seville and overnight El Rocío
Day 2/4
El Rocío
Day 5
Fly London
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What's Included

What's Included?

  • Flights
  • Accommodation:

    Comfortable tourist hotel, all rooms with private facilities.

  • Food: All included in the price.
Reviews
Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost
Mon 17th Feb – Fri 21st Feb FULL £1,395
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,175
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£130
Mon 10th Nov – Fri 14th Nov SPACES £1,295
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,175
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£130 
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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 selection of our overseas short breaks:



 




 


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




All Short Break Tours

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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:



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...






"Try Coto Doñana & Extremadura for an excellent introduction to Europe's wetland and steppe birds. I would recommend our bargain holiday, 'Nepal – A Birdwatching Tour' for those interested in Siberian rarities and Ibisbill, while Costa Rica offers a chance to search for arguably the world's most beautiful bird, the Resplendent Quetzal."

Byron Palacios - Tour Leader




  


 


All Birdwatching Tours

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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.

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Why Naturetrek?

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
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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!