Go Slow ... in Southern Spain

This new ‘Go Slow’ holiday is based in Málaga, to which we will organise a flight for you from a regional airport as close to your home as possible. Once there, we will be based for the week in a very comfortable hotel in the heart of historic Málaga, from where we will enjoy both the varied birdlife of southern Andalucía and some of the historical, cultural and gastronomic highlights of the city. Our plan each day will be for a full morning’s birdwatching to a variety of habitats within easy driving range. We will then return to our hotel for lunch, have time for a little rest and relaxation, and enjoy a cultural excursion before dining relatively early in one of Málaga’s excellent restaurants selected by our local guide.

On our daily birdwatching outings we will explore the region's mountains, lakes, gorges and saltmarshes in search of a wide variety of sought-after Mediterranean species. Amongst a wealth of summer visitors, we will hope to see shrikes, Bee-eaters, Hoopoes, Golden Orioles, Black-eared Wheatears, and such warblers as Orphean, Subalpine and Melodious. We will also enjoy the resident birds such as Black Wheatear and Rock Bunting, while overhead we'll see Griffon Vultures, and perhaps a Short-toed or Booted Eagle. The second largest breeding colony of Greater Flamingoes in the Mediterranean will be a highlight, as will be our visit to the Guadalhorce Estuary which comprises the remains of what was once a vast marsh that spanned the entire river delta. Here we will look for the local White-headed Duck, as well as Kentish Plover, Little Bittern, Audouin’s and Slender-billed Gull and a variety of waders. The proximity of these productive birdwatching sites to our hotel will allow us time to enjoy the ancient city of Málaga and its many places of interest, including the Roman Theatre, the Picasso Museum and the famous ‘one-handed’ cathedral (one of its two towers having never been completed!), together with some outstanding food and wine in bustling restaurants filled with chattering locals. This new tour showcases the hidden gems of this well-known corner of Spain, well away from its crowded beaches and sun-loungers, and will appeal to those who like to combine relaxed birdwatching with top quality accommodation and access to local sites of historical and cultural interest. It should be a most enjoyable week away!