Wallcreepers & Cranes in Northern Spain

Tour Code: ESP17

An 8-day winter break, looking first at the spectacle of Cranes and waterfowl at the Laguna de Gallocanta and for bustards, sandgrouse and the enigmatic Dupont's Lark in the steppes around Belchite, then for Wallcreepers, Lammergeiers and other birds of prey in the pre-Pyrenean Sierra de Guara (Europe's Wallcreeper capital).

8 days from
£1,895 (Inc flights)
Land only price from
£1,695
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Highlights

Summary

Summary

This 2-centre birdwatching holiday offers the best of two magnificent regions in winter. First, at the Laguna de Gallocanta, south of Zaragoza, we stay in a small family-owned hotel, close to the lake, that offers warm hospitality and good food! The movements of Cranes at dawn and dusk are spectacular, and will be a highlight of the tour. By contrast, in the Sierra de Guara, we will be based in the magical fortress town of Alquézar, the impressive cliffs that surround it a haven for wintering Wallcreepers. From here we will explore the hills and gorges of the sierra, where Lammergeiers and other raptors will be amongst our target species, the former regularly joining numerous Griffons at a nearby vulture feeding station.

  • Large concentrations of wintering Common Cranes at Lake Gallocanta
  • First class steppe birding & possibility of Dupont's Lark at Belchite
  • Griffon Vultures, Lammergeiers & Wallcreepers in the Sierra de Guara
  • Magnificent winter vistas & light for photography
  • Guided by expert Naturetrek ornithologist leaders

Grading

Grade A. Optional short walks will be taken during the course of the holiday, but much of our time will be spent watching and enjoying the avian spectacles.

Laguna de Gallocanta is a giant saltpan, the largest natural lagoon in the Iberian peninsula. It lies in a vast, shallow depression surrounded by distant hills and, although its water levels are dependent on regular seasonal rainfall, at the time of our visit it is to be hoped that winter rains will have replenished them. Gallocanta attracts the greatest concentration of Common Cranes in western Europe. The largest numbers, 20,000-50,000, come through on passage, but increasing numbers are staying to winter here. Our February visit is timed to coincide with the more concentrated spring migration when the largest concentrations are generally to be found, prior to the Cranes’ northbound migration over the Pyrenees to their breeding grounds in northern Europe. Water levels permitting, Gallocanta can also sometimes host good numbers of wintering duck and other waterbirds. The area also supports a variety of wintering birds of prey, amongst them Hen and Marsh Harriers, Red Kites, Peregrines and Merlins. Great Bustards breed in this area and although the majority leave in winter, a few individuals are sometimes still present at the time of our visit.

The high páramo, or steppe, surrounding the lake is also attractive to birds. Here, Black-bellied Sandgrouse and such lark species as Calandra, Lesser Short-toed, Crested and Thekla Larks as well as many wintering Skylark may all be found. However, for the best steppe habitat we will spend some time during our transfer day around Belchite. Here, 40,000 hectares of steppe habitat — including within it the Sociedad Española de Ornitología’s (SEO) 645-hectare El Planerón nature reserve, part-funded by proceeds from the 1992 British Birdwatching Fair — present the best habitat of its type in northern Spain. This windswept, arid land of dusty, red, scrub-covered plains and eroded plateaux, more reminiscent of Morocco or Afghanistan than western Europe, holds large percentages of the Spanish populations of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Lesser Shorttoed Lark and the elusive and enigmatic Dupont’s Lark.

Just a few hours away, to the north of Zaragoza, lies a very different ‘avian hotspot’. As any map of Spain will indicate, the Sierra de Guara, protected as a parque natural since 1990, is one of the quietest of regions in the Spanish Pyrenees and its outlying foothills. On its rolling lower slopes, a pretty patchwork of oak woods, almond orchards, olive groves and small, irregular wheat fields, traditionally farmed, is to be found. Attractive, limestone villages and their splendid churches ride the flanks of the sierra; their populations, like virtually all in rural Spain, are dwindling today and allowing nature back in. Above them lies a rugged land, clothed in stunted oak forest and maquis scrub and noted for its numerous gorges and canyons, and spectacular cliffs, columns and pinnacles fashioned from limestone and conglomerate. In high summer the region attracts French ‘canyoners’; during the colder months this magnificent landscape becomes the winter capital of Spain’s Wallcreepers! It is also a land favoured by Lammergeiers, huge numbers of Griffon Vultures, Golden Eagles, and the occasional Bonelli’s Eagle, Hen Harrier or Peregrine.

This 2-centre holiday is designed to offer the best of these two magnificent regions. At the Laguna de Gallocanta, we stay in a hotel that commands magnificent views over the entire lake. The movements of Cranes at dawn and dusk are spectacular, and will be a highlight of the tour, but for the cultural buffs, so too will be a visit to the nearby 8th century walled town of Daroca. Then, in the Sierra de Guara, we will be based in or very close to the magical fortress town of Alquézar, built around a spectacular 8th century Moorish citadel which sits on a pinnacle above the gorge of the Río Vero. This quaint and ancient town, with its narrow streets, sits like an eagle’s eyrie on a shoulder of the Sierra, the impressive cliffs that surround it a haven for wintering Wallcreepers. From this base, we will explore the slopes of the Sierra, where Lammergeiers and Wallcreepers will be foremost amongst our target species, and we will visit the Embalse de la Sotonera, a reservoir that attracts thousands of Cranes each spring as they make a final stop to rest and feed before crossing the Pyrenees.

 

DETAILED INFORMATION
Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1
Fly Zaragoza and transfer Gallocanta
Day 2/4
Gallocanta and Belchite
Day 5/7
Sierra de Guara
Day 8
Fly London
cloud_downloadDownload Full Itinerary
What's Included

What's Included?

  • Flights
  • Accommodation:

    A simple family run hotel in Gallocanta for 3 nights which offers an unrivalled location and views of the lake and its birdlife. In the Sierra de Guara for 4 nights, we use one of two very comfortable hotels in Alquézar or very nearby. 

  • Food:

    All included in the price.

Reviews
Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost
Tue 11th Feb – Tue 18th Feb FULL £1,895
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.
£1,695
Room sharing options:
If a customer on this departure has already expressed an interest in sharing a room it will be flagged here. We will identify if there are sharing options for male, female or both.
Female sharing available
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£195
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Chris Wilkinson

Tour Leader: Chris Wilkinson

Thu 23rd Oct – Thu 30th Oct SPACES £1,895
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.
£1,695
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£295

2026

Departures Availability Cost
Tue 10th Feb – Tue 17th Feb SPACES £1,895
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.
£1,695
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£240
Thu 22nd Oct – Thu 29th Oct SPACES £1,895
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.
£1,695
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£295 
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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.


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Byron Palacios - Tour Leader




  


 


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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
  • 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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