Flyway of the Mediterranean - Bird-watching in Andalusia

Guadalhorce is a small reserve approx. 67 hectares in size, yet it attracts over 250 varieties of bird. Its rich wetlands provide an excellent opportunity to observe Mediterranean birds such as the European bee-eater, Whiskered tern, Iberian yellow wagtail, Spotless starling, red-rumped swallow, zitting cisticola, European serin, Sardinian warbler and booted eagles. You can also expect to see many waders and water birds, including flamingo, spoonbill, ibis, Caspian tern, Kentish plover, and black stork, to name but a few. The unique combination of river and sea water provides the ideal environment for waterfowl and seabirds, while the estuary’s dense reedbeds provide a habitat for flat fish, eels and chameleons. Mammals and reptiles found here include foxes, weasels, otters, snakes and rabbits. The vegetation is a mix of poplars, willows, eucalyptus, tamarisks and giant reeds.

You’ll spend part of the morning and early afternoon exploring Guadalhorce with your guide, stopping to rest at one of the migration observatories for a picnic lunch, before continuing south to Tarifa, where you check-in at the very comfortable Mesón de Sancho Hotel for the next five nights (full-board basis).

Meson de Sancho is located just south of Los Alcornocales Nature Reserve. It is a small hotel with 40 ensuite rooms, a restaurant and bar, terrace, gardens and swimming pool.

The observatory here overlooks the coastal lagoon, providing views of the dunes, beach and salt  meadows. Expect to see some or all of the following – Kentish plovers and terns, Audouin’s and Mediterranean gulls, passerines including Zitting cisticola, Corn bunting, yellow wagtail and tawny pipit. Afterwards, continue to the raptor observatories in the Tarifa area, checking local raptor counters to ensure the best spot to view their movement. Sightings of Black kite, Egyptian vulture, short-toed and botted eagle, march and Montagu’s harrier, and Eurasian sparrowhawk are likely.

Enjoy a picnic lunch before continuing to La Janda wetland, which encompasses a diversity of habitats from pastureland to marshes. Here you can expect to see various waterbirds and raptors, as well as large communities of passerines. This is also one of the best places to observe Bonelli’s eagle and the Spanish imperial eagle.

Late afternoon, return to Meson de Sancho for dinner and overnight.

Time spent sea-watching here will reveal Scopoli’s and Balearic shearwater, northern gannets, and great & parasitic skua. Continue on to the migration observatories to watch for raptors.

Later this morning, you’ll explore El Estrecho (the Strait) Natural Park, the southernmost national park in Europe. El Estrecho has several ecosystems, including vast cork forests. The high cliffs of the park are home to the endangered Egyptian vulture and a large colony of Griffon vultures, as well as Blue rock thrush, Thekla’s lark, Ruppel’s griffon and Cirl bunting.

After a picnic lunch in El Estrecho, you’ll continue to beautiful Bolonia and Sierra de La Plata, where you can enjoy views across the Strait into north Africa. Here are also found the majestic ruins of the once prosperous Roman city of Baelo Claudia which flourished during the reign of Emperor Claudius (AD41-54) until it was largely destroyed by an earthquake in the 2nd century.

Late afternoon, return to Meson de Sancho for dinner and overnight.

Your focus as you explore Donana will be on the region east of the Guadalquivir River, which comprises one of Europe’s largest wetland areas. This region is massively rich in birdlife and encompasses a mix of wild and cultivated land, including lagoons, meadows, salt works, vineyards and fish farms. Expect to see numerous waders (around 20 species reside here), flamingos, little and Caspian terns, lesser short-toed larks, western swamphens and slender-billed gulls. Donana is also the location of the only breeding colony of little swift in Europe.

Late afternoon, return to Meson de Sancho for dinner and overnight.

The marshes are home to the very rare northern bald ibis, which has been re-introduced to Spain in an effort to increase the population (outside of Spain, there are only limited numbers of northern bald ibis in Morocco and Turkey). Other species found here include a colony of greater flamingo, yellow-legged gulls, peregrine falcon, stone curlew, great white egret, tawny pipit, greater short-toed lark and jackdaw. This is also a good spot to observe migrating passerines.

After a picnic lunch, return to Tarifa, where this afternoon you’ll enjoy a change of pace as you embark on a whale watching boat ride on the Strait of Gibraltar. During the autumn, it’s possible to see long-finned pilot whales and migratory species including fin and sperm whale. Dolphins can also be sighted, including common, bottlenose and striped, as can orca, with the Strait of Gibraltar home to one of the last remaining pods of orcas in western Europe. Orcas are usually spotted in summer as they chase tuna which have just spawned in the Mediterranean, though can still be seen as late as mid-September.

Following the boat ride, return to Meson de Sancho for dinner and overnight.

The birding is of course excellent, with likely sightings including black wheatear, rock bunting and rock sparrow. Raptors which may be found here include griffon vulture, golden eagle and Bonelli’s eagle. The area is also home to the Spanish ibex.

In the afternoon, you’ll continue to the historical city of Ronda, the largest of Spain’s white towns, dramatically located on El Tajo gorge 750 metres above sea level. Ronda’s setting, and the views it offers across the surrounding mountains, is simply spectacular. Bird species to be found here include Alpine swift, crag martin, and red-billed chough.

Dinner and overnight in Ronda at the Hotel Maestranza. The Maestranza is a charming hotel situated in the historic heart of Ronda, a 5-minute walk from the famous Puente Nuevo bridge and gorge. The Maestranza offers 64 air conditioned and en-suite rooms. There is free wi-fi in the common areas, a restaurant and coffee bar.

In addition to flamingos, the lagoons of Campillos attract good numbers of water birds, waders and passing passerines. Other species include western olivaceous warbler and Iberian grey shrike.

After a morning spent exploring the reserve, continue to Malaga Airport (approx. 1½ hours’ drive) to catch your homeward flight/onward connections.