The Spanish Pyrenees

Tour Code: ESP16

An 8-day holiday of birdwatching and botanical walks in the Spanish Pyrenees.

8 days from
£1,995
Land only price from
£1,845
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Highlights

Summary

Summary

Wilder and less manicured than the Alps, the Pyrenees is a naturalist’s paradise. Based for the week in very comfortable, refurbished accommodation around a courtyard setting in the quaint and historic village of Berdun, we explore the region on daily wildlife walks, enjoying the scrub, maquis, cliffs, canyons and stunning limestone formations which are home to a wealth of birds, flowers, butterflies and mammals. At the time of our visit, in late May, the high peaks are still snow-capped and the uncut hay meadows are filled with flowers and butterflies. We’ll explore, on foot, the spectacular Aisa and Hecho Valleys, looking skywards for Lammergeier and at our feet for carpets of gentians, Pyrenean Buttercups and other wildflowers.

  • An ideal mountain holiday for the all-round naturalist
  • Birds, butterflies & alpine flowers galore!
  • Spectacular Pyrenean scenery & delicious picnics in flower-filled meadows
  • Look out for Marmots & Chamois 
  • Golden Eagles, Lammergeiers & Griffon Vultures
  • Wallcreeper, Snowfinch, Alpine Accentor & Citril Finch
  • A wealth of butterfly species (50+), including Pyrenean specialities
  • Guided by British Naturetrek ornithologist & botanist leaders

Grading

Grade B. Day walks only.

This week-long holiday complements our ‘French Pyrenees’s week which has proved so popular and successful over the years. In a similar manner, it is our aim to enjoy the rich variety of birds and plants in the Spanish Pyrenees during a series of gentle walks from our base. We will be staying in a delightful 300-year-old property situated in the pretty hilltop village of Berdun, with its fine views of the Pyrenees, surrounding foothills, and valleys of the Veral and Aragon Rivers. Here, our hosts make us most welcome, keeping us well fed on wholesome local cuisine, and providing a mine of information that would not be available on a hotel stay in the region. This holiday focuses on both birds and botany, and we will also endeavour to look at and identify some of the wonderful butterflies and moths of this region.

The Spanish Pyrenees, the southern slopes of the spectacular 450-kilometre barrier between France and Spain, could not be more different from their northern, French, counterparts. Whilst the French Pyrenees are wet, green and thickly forested, the Spanish side is dry, arid and generally more Mediterranean, as clearly indicated by its very different list of plant and bird species. Whilst the Spanish side also supports good beech and conifer forests, it is the variety of scrub, maquis, arable farmland, wide river valleys, and the sheer spectacle of the cliffs, canyons and stunning limestone erosions, that so characterise these sunny southern slopes.

This will be a single-centre holiday based at Berdun, the most spectacular and traditional of villages, situated between the Aragon and Veral Valleys, in the southern foothills of the central Pyrenees. Just to the east is the small, historic town of Jaca with its 15th century fort and an interesting 11th century Romanesque cathedral — the first, indeed, to be built in that style. Berdun occupies a truly prime position, for it is so close to so many wonderful and varied birding and botanical sites, many of them within walking distance. During our stay, we will explore the area around Berdun, where the Aragon and Veral Valleys, and the spectacular Binies Gorge, are home to an excellent variety of low-level birds and plants. Bee-eaters, Golden Orioles, Woodchat Shrikes, Crested Larks, Tawny Pipits, Penduline Tits, Spotless Starlings, Rock Sparrows and Ortolan Buntings may all be seen, whilst birds of prey may include Griffon and Egyptian Vultures, Red and Black Kites, and Booted and Short-toed Eagles. We will visit the beautiful Hecho Valley, enjoying the displays of flowers and their attendant butterflies, and hopefully birds such as Alpine and Red-billed Chough, Lammergeier and Citril Finch will be seen; there is even a chance of the elusive Wallcreeper here! We will also explore the hills and limestone outcrops to the south, looking for vultures, Black Wheatear and Blue Rock Thrush at the spectacular red pinnacles at Riglos, and for Crested Tit, Rock Bunting and Hoopoe amongst the wonderful scenery around the Castillo de Loarre. We will head to the French border and visit the flower-rich meadows around Portalet, an area good for raptors, Water Pipit and Rock Thrush too. At all these sites we will also be enjoying the wealth of flowers and butterflies that this area provides.

We will end our holiday with a visit to the beautiful Aisa Valley, situated to the north-west of Jaca. On a gentle walk up the valley amongst some of the finest Pyrenean scenery, we will concentrate on the birds and plants. Lammergeier, Golden Eagle and Rock Bunting are amongst the bird species most typical of the area, and the botanists in our party will additionally find carpets of gentians and Pyrenean Buttercups in the valley bottom, and numerous saxifrages and other rock-dwelling plants on the scree slopes above. The Pyrenean race of Chamois also occurs here, together with Alpine Marmot and Wild Boar, though being rather shy the latter are only seen with a little luck.

DETAILED INFORMATION
Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1
Fly to Bilbao or Zaragoza and transfer to Berdún
Day 2/7
Berdún
Day 8
Fly London
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What's Included

What's Included?

  • Flights
  • Accommodation:

    A charming guesthouse situated beneath the pretty hilltop village of Berdun. All rooms have private facilities except for two single rooms which share a bathroom. There is no supplement applicable for these two rooms.

  • Food:

    All included in the price.

Reviews
Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost
Sat 17th May – Sat 24th May ENQUIRE £1,995
Contact Us 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.
£1,845
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£285
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Peter Rich

Tour Leader: Peter Rich

Sun 25th May – Sun 1st Jun 4 £2,195
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.
£1,845
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£265
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Peter Rich

Tour Leader: Peter Rich

2026

Departures Availability Cost
Sat 16th May – Sat 23rd May SPACES £1,995
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.
£1,845
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£285
Sun 24th May – Sun 31st May SPACES £1,995
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.
£1,845
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£285

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.

Enquire
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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