Join the group at Millbay Docks Plymouth where the Brittany Ferries' flagship "Pont Aven" sails at 1745 to Spain. Our British Guide,Paul Burley, will meet you here and escort you on to the ship and will arrange for an orientation chat.
During the crossing to Santander he will be in attendance to assist in the observations through the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay, one of the World's most important locations of ocean wildlife.
We reach Spain at 1315 and met the waiting Spanish coach at the port and then we'll drive westwards into Asturias where our rural hotel , Hotel El Tilo, is located in Panes on the River Deva. We check in for three nights with breakfast and dinner with wine. Before dinner, our local Spanish Guide, Javier Gil Vaquero, will come to have a chat about the programme he has devised.
On Tuesday we set off along the scenic Hermida Gorge to Potes, a small mountain town. Here the non-Wildlifers in the group will be dropped off as the coach continues to the end of the road at Fuente Dé. Here you'll take the cable car to the plateau in the Picos de Europa National Park at 1800m above sea level and one of the most ideal places to observe alpine birds such as Alpine Accentor, Snowfinch, Wallcreeper, Red-billed Chough, Yellow-billed Chough and many more. You'll possibly see the Cantabrian Chamois and some raptors such as Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture and sometimes Beared Vulture.
We leave here in the mid-afternoon and drive back to Potes for a little sightseeing and refreshment before retruning to he hotel for dinner and overnight.
On Wednesday we meet with the local coach and drive through Panes and the stunning Cares Gorge to rthe Covadonga Lakes and the feeding centre where scavengers birds gather. In a typical day you'll expect to see Griffon Vultures, Lammergaiers of different ages, Egyptian Vultures, Golden Eagles and Kites. We return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
We depart the hotel on Thursday and travel back to Santander by way of the Oyambre National Park, another local attraction for bird watchers.
At Santander we board the ferry for the 1600 sailing to England. Paul now takes over the guiding responsibilities for this leg of the tour.
The ship reaches Plymouth at 1100 on Friday.
| September 1st | £655 |
Cost Include: Coach travel in Spain; ferry crossings with a 2-berth cabin; three nights' 4* hotel accommodation with breakfast and dinner with wine; two Guides, British and Spanish to lead the tour, a cable car ride.
Single Supplement: £135
Plymouth Ferryport