Montaña Palentina

Somewhat overshadowed by the nearby Picos de Europa, Spain’s Montaña Palentina Natural Park on the south-eastern edge of the Cantabrian Mountain range boasts equally diverse flora and fauna but with fewer visitors compared to its better-known neighbour. The result? Stunning, unspoiled scenery, teeming with flora and fauna in a secluded corner of northern Spain. With its extensive beech forests, heathland and rounded mountain plateau, Montaña Palentina is largely pesticide-free, providing a home to large numbers of butterflies and an ideal base for our 8-day tour in search of Spain’s rarest and most elusive species, during which we will also enjoy first-rate birding and mammal-spotting in one of the Iberian Peninsula’s most overlooked wildlife destinations. 

Based in Salinas de Pisuerga, we begin our 8-day tour at Las Loras, a karstic plateau famed for its limestone formations and geological wonders. From July to late August, this area hosts dazzling numbers of Apollo butterflies, with sightings of a dozen or more at a single stop. Other highlights here include the Twin-spot Fritillary, Ripart’s Anomalous Blue and Pandora Fritillary.

Descending into the valleys, the landscape shifts into a mosaic of hay meadows, grazing pastures, hedgerows, and wetlands – shaped by centuries of traditional farming. These rich habitats support endangered species such as the Dusky Large Blue, along with Bog Fritillary, Sloe Hairstreak, and Mountain Argus. The surrounding forests are home to the Chapman's Ringlet, a species endemic to the Cantabrian range, along with the Spanish Gatekeeper, Rock Grayling, and False Ilex Hairstreak.

Two unforgettable high-altitude excursions form the centrepiece of the tour. The first is to Espigüete Peak, a stunning limestone pyramid rising to 2,450 metres. Here, amid alpine meadows carpeted with wildflowers, we will encounter high-mountain species, such as Scarce Copper, Idas Blue and Chestnut Heath. The towering limestone cliffs provide a stunning backdrop for our picnic, where we can expect sightings of Alpine and Red-billed Choughs and occasionally even Snow Finches. A short climb brings us to the realm of the elusive Lefèbvre’s Ringlet, alongside Piedmont and Chapman’s Ringlets.

The second alpine outing takes us to Peña Tejedo, one of the best panoramic viewpoints in the region. We will use our 4x4 vehicles to tackle most of the ascent, after which we will undertake a gentle sloping trail on foot, which winds through peat bogs and alpine slopes where Shepherd’s and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries and Common Brassy Ringlet thrive.

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