Castile Wildlife Tour
El Cerrato
Our wildlife programmes offer some of the best wildlife watching from the open ocean to the mountain tops in the best birding areas of Northern Spain. Renowned for its birding diversity and the opportunity to experience the splendour of the ocean element which offers both cetaceans and Pelagic birds. Details of sightings within the programmes will be provided within each of our 6-day holidays. In Spain our local Guide, Fernando Jubete, one of Spain’s top Wildlife Guides will take over. He will make your visit a memorable experience as you join him in observing some of the best wildlife in these incredibly spectacular places.
On Sunday – Meet at the Plymouth Ferryport where we catch the 1645 sailing to Spain. A 2-berth cabin is provided and upgrades are available as detailed in Essentail Information. Our Guide,Paul Burley, will meet you in the Terminal Building at Plymouth Ferryport. We will be setting off from Plymouth and crossing the English Channel towards the Ushant on the north western tip of France. We will be hoping to see Great skua, Manx shearwater, Kittiwake, Gannets and more. We will also be looking for Common dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Harbour porpoise and Minke whale as these animals are frequently seen in these waters throughout the year.
Monday – The next morning we are in the Bay of Biscay where we resume looking for pelagic seabirds and the various whale and dolphin species that makes the Bay of Biscay one of the best places to observe cetaceans in Europe. We will be hoping to see the big whales, Beaked whales and a variety of dolphin species along with the many surprises that Biscay has to offer.
On arrival in Santander at 1400 we drive southwards to Ampudia where we check into our 5* Hotel La Posada La Casa del Abad for three nights on buffet breakfast and dinner with wine. Here Fernando will join you for a talk about the days to come. The hotel has a swimming pool to cool you down after a hard day’s observation!
18:00 – 19:00. Visit to the hotel before dinner and explanation of the itineraries and species to be observed over the next two days.
Tuesday – Valle de Cerrato-Villamediana.
Departure from the hotel to Villamediana. After breakfast we will travel to the town of Villamediana, where we will enjoy a walk through an area that alternates agricultural crops with Mediterranean forest and where rabbits abound, so one of the objectives of the day will be the observation of the imperial eagle. Target bird species for the day: Booted eagle, Black kite, Spanish imperial eagle, European bee-eater, Eurasian hoopoe, Iberian magpie, Western black-eared whetear, Thekla’s lark, Spectacled warbler, Western subalpine warbler, Tawny pipit, Spanish sparrow, Ortolan bunting, Calandra lark, Crested lark, Montagu’s harrier, etc.
Target butterfly’s species for the day: Swallowtail, Spanish festoon, Cleopatra, Western dappled white, Clouded yellow, Orange tip, Green hairstreak, Provence hairstreak, etc.
Wednesday – Becerril del Carpio-Revilla de Pomar-Frómista.
Departure from the hotel to Becerril del Carpio
The aim of this day will be the observation of rock birds, so we will go to the town of Becerril del Carpio to visit an area with limestone cliffs where species such as Griffon vultures, Golden eagles and Peregrine falcons nest. In the afternoon, on the way back to the hotel, we will make a brief stop at the Important Bird Area of the Camino de Santiago to observe some steppe birds, such as the Great Bustard.
Lunchtime Pic-nic in a bar in Becerril del Carpio. Target bird species for the day: Egyptian vulture, Short-toed snake eagle, Eurasian crag martin, Cirl bunting, Rock bunting, Red-rumped swallow, Iberian chiffchaff, Cetti’s warbler, etc.
Target butterfly’s species for the day: Western dappled white, Spring ringlet, Berger’s clouded yellow, etc.
We return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
On Thursday – after more exploration in the area we return to Santander to catch the 1600 sailing and we will once more be crossing through the Bay of Biscay to look for sea birds and cetaceans.
On Friday – morning we will be crossing the English channel to repeat our search for birds and cetaceans. Early in the morning we’ll be passing close to the Breton coast.
We reach Plymouth at 1115.
Sterling and Euros are accepted on board ship. Please confirm on Invoice your dietary requests – if any!
Parking – if you’d like advice on parking at Plymouth please contact us by e-mail preferably.
Departure Date May 11th 2025
Cost £715
Single supplement £135
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