A small group holiday to watch the migration of birds across the Straits of Gibraltar. Well organised with excellent guides. The accommodation and food was first class and we had first rate picnics (with wine) provided every day. As well as seeing a huge variety of birds we also enjoyed a whale watching trip. Naturetrek is a highly efficient tour operator who keep all customers well informed and provide excellent pre trip packs and tour reports. They are also available to answer any questions at any time and suggest alternative travel arrangements.
J.W. West Yorkshire, Mar 23



Tour Itinerary and Reports
- Itinerary
- Tour report - March 2025
- Tour report - March 2025
- Tour report - March 2024
- Tour report - March 2024
- Tour report - March 2023
- Tour report - March 2023
- Tour report - March 2022
- Tour report - March 2022
- Tour report - March 2022
- Tour report - March 2019
- Tour report - March 2019
Click to see moreClick to see less
Can I help you?
Go Slow in Andalucia in Spring
Tour Code: ESP51A 7-day holiday to enjoy the spring bird migration across the Strait of Gibraltar, based at a delightful traditional rural Spanish farmhouse.
£1,995
£1,795
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
Can I help you?
Quick Enquiry
Summary
Enjoy spring early by heading south to Andalucia with this relaxed, ´Go Slow´, migration appreciation tour. What better way to spend a March morning than sunlit in the lush rolling hills of southern Spain, welcoming raptors and storks back from their African wintering grounds, as they soar across the Strait of Gibraltar on their way north to breed? Accommodated at the delightful Cortijo el Indiviso, a traditional rural Spanish farmhouse between Tarifa and Vejer de la Frontera, you´ll be ideally placed to see the very best of the area´s wildlife and witness the spectacle of migration at close quarters. Each day we´ll make leisurely excursions within easy reach of our base, to explore the variety of habitats close by. There´ll be plenty of time to relax, walk in the grounds at our lodgings, or simply hang out by the bar as migrating birds pass overhead. A leisurely boat trip into the Strait itself will introduce you to its rich variety of marine-life. Long-finned Pilot Whales, Common, Striped, and Bottlenose Dolphins are all resident here, and at this time of year we stand a good chance of encountering migrating Sperm and Fin Whales, not to mention seabirds such as Cory´s, Scopoli´s and Balearic Shearwaters, Great Skuas and European and Wilson’s Storm Petrels.
- Experience thousands of migrating raptors and storks crossing the Strait of Gibraltar
- Explore Los Alcornacales Natural Park, looking for Crested Tits, Firecrests, Hawfinches, Serins, Short-toed Treecreepers and more in Europe´s largest Cork Oak forest
- Enjoy a variety of waders, terns and gulls in the area´s fine inter-tidal and wetland habitats
- Long-finned Pilot Whales and three species of dolphin and maybe even migrating Sperm Whales close by on a boat trip into the Strait
- Comfortable accommodation, where migrating raptors pass right overhead!
- Sample superb local tapas and enjoy our legendary picnics in the sun!
- Led by expert locally-based naturalist guides
This ‘Go Slow’ holiday is timed to coincide with the early spring-time northbound migration. What better way to spend a March morning than in the rolling sunlit hills of southern Spain, welcoming raptors and storks back from their African wintering grounds as they soar across the Straits of Gibraltar on their way north to breed?
Staying at the delightful rural farmhouse of Cortijo el Indiviso, we will be ideally placed to see the very best of the area’s wildlife and witness the spectacle of migration at close quarters, at a time of year when back home most are depending on central heating to ward off the chill of late winter. Each day we will make leisurely excursions, within easy reach of our base, to explore the variety of habitats close by. There will be plenty of time to relax and potter in the extensive grounds of our base, or simply relax by the bar and pool as migrating birds pass overhead.
A leisurely boat trip into the Strait itself will introduce you to its rich variety of cetaceans and marine-life. Long-finned Pilot Whales as well as Common, Striped and Bottlenose Dolphins are resident here, and at this time of year we stand a good chance of encountering migrating Sperm and Fin Whales, not to mention seabirds such as Cory’s, Scopoli’s and Balearic Shearwaters, Great Skua, and European and Wilson’s Storm Petrels.
Outline Itinerary

Reviews
-
-
Go Slow holidays are very well tailored to the mature fit person. The leaders were adaptive, knowledgeable and fun. The accommodation was amazing well thought out to meet everyone's needs. The variety of habitats and opportunities to see the birds we went to see was super. Always there to respond to our questions, no matter how trivial.They kept us updated re all the COVID issues and changes related to our holiday and safety needs. They were flexible and consistent.
E.H. West Sussex, Mar 22 -
Have always wanted to see the migration over the straits of Gibraltar and after the nightmare of two years of pandemic incarceration grabbed at the chance to finally get there. Such wonderful sights and knowledge passed on by two great naturalists. I left with a tear in my eye, not wanting to return home - but that's the sign of a great holiday, that you leave with regrets. I'll definitely return - I hear the autumn migration is a sight to see! Have felt for Naturetrek in the dreadful times of the pandemic, would they survive? But survive they did and were enterprising and inventive about how to support themselves and their tour guide partners. I've never yet been disappointed by a Naturetrek holiday.
S.H. Buckinghamshire, Mar 22 -
Excellent location to see the spectacle of thousands of raptors crossing the Straits of Gibraltar. Our guides were very knowledgeable and varied our itinerary to be in the best spots at the best times. Always a very personal feeling that whoever you speak to knows and cares about every detail of your booking.
K.M. Hertfordshire, Mar 22 -
We went to an eco-lodge near Tarifa in Southern Spain to see the spring bird migration. Every day was different, it depended a lot on the wind direction and strength as to where the birds would cross and the tour guides were experts at finding the right place to be. We saw over 100 species as well as interesting butterflies and flowering plants and trees. The accommodation was located in a wooded area which was also full of smaller birds and animals, such a tree frogs and toads. We went with Naturetrek and they were excellent throughout, from booking to the actual holiday. The 2 guides were especially good, very knowledgeable and pleasant to be with, they really made the holiday one to remember.
J.D. Cheshire, Mar 19
Dates & Prices
2026

Tour Leader: Simon Tonkin
Simon was raised in Plymouth and his early birding habitats were rubbish tips, sewage outfalls and fish factories. It all started when, at nine years old, his enthralment with the natural world led him to sneak out with his father's massive binoculars at first light, returning home many hours after dark covered in estuarine mud and other indescribable detritus, to face the music! Fulfilling a boyhood dream, Simon worked for the RSPB full-time for fifteen years; the first projects he was involved in were to protect breeding Hen Harriers and Bee-eaters in the North of England. Simon has lectured in ornithology, specialising in a variety of subjects including bird ethology, migration and bird populations. He has worked in farmland bird conservation for the most of his RSPB career and recently worked at the RSPB's headquarters in Sandy. Simon has conducted research on Corn Bunting crop nest site selection and on the seed palatability of farmland granivores. He also co-launched Operation Turtle Dove, co-ordinating efforts in the UK and internationally to save the species from extirpation. Simon has worked as the Conservation Manager for Conservation Grade, working on ground-breaking and exciting conservation projects in Spain, Portugal, Central America, Morocco, Senegal and the Gambia and is widely travelled in these countries, being particularly familiar with their avifauna, lepidoptera and mammalian species. Simon now lives in the epi-centre of migration in Southern Spain, near Tarifa, working on a variety of conservation projects, and tour leading throughout the year for Naturetrek.

Tour Leader: Simon Tonkin
Simon was raised in Plymouth and his early birding habitats were rubbish tips, sewage outfalls and fish factories. It all started when, at nine years old, his enthralment with the natural world led him to sneak out with his father's massive binoculars at first light, returning home many hours after dark covered in estuarine mud and other indescribable detritus, to face the music! Fulfilling a boyhood dream, Simon worked for the RSPB full-time for fifteen years; the first projects he was involved in were to protect breeding Hen Harriers and Bee-eaters in the North of England. Simon has lectured in ornithology, specialising in a variety of subjects including bird ethology, migration and bird populations. He has worked in farmland bird conservation for the most of his RSPB career and recently worked at the RSPB's headquarters in Sandy. Simon has conducted research on Corn Bunting crop nest site selection and on the seed palatability of farmland granivores. He also co-launched Operation Turtle Dove, co-ordinating efforts in the UK and internationally to save the species from extirpation. Simon has worked as the Conservation Manager for Conservation Grade, working on ground-breaking and exciting conservation projects in Spain, Portugal, Central America, Morocco, Senegal and the Gambia and is widely travelled in these countries, being particularly familiar with their avifauna, lepidoptera and mammalian species. Simon now lives in the epi-centre of migration in Southern Spain, near Tarifa, working on a variety of conservation projects, and tour leading throughout the year for Naturetrek.
2027

Tour Leader: Simon Tonkin
Simon was raised in Plymouth and his early birding habitats were rubbish tips, sewage outfalls and fish factories. It all started when, at nine years old, his enthralment with the natural world led him to sneak out with his father's massive binoculars at first light, returning home many hours after dark covered in estuarine mud and other indescribable detritus, to face the music! Fulfilling a boyhood dream, Simon worked for the RSPB full-time for fifteen years; the first projects he was involved in were to protect breeding Hen Harriers and Bee-eaters in the North of England. Simon has lectured in ornithology, specialising in a variety of subjects including bird ethology, migration and bird populations. He has worked in farmland bird conservation for the most of his RSPB career and recently worked at the RSPB's headquarters in Sandy. Simon has conducted research on Corn Bunting crop nest site selection and on the seed palatability of farmland granivores. He also co-launched Operation Turtle Dove, co-ordinating efforts in the UK and internationally to save the species from extirpation. Simon has worked as the Conservation Manager for Conservation Grade, working on ground-breaking and exciting conservation projects in Spain, Portugal, Central America, Morocco, Senegal and the Gambia and is widely travelled in these countries, being particularly familiar with their avifauna, lepidoptera and mammalian species. Simon now lives in the epi-centre of migration in Southern Spain, near Tarifa, working on a variety of conservation projects, and tour leading throughout the year for Naturetrek.

Tour Leader: Simon Tonkin
Simon was raised in Plymouth and his early birding habitats were rubbish tips, sewage outfalls and fish factories. It all started when, at nine years old, his enthralment with the natural world led him to sneak out with his father's massive binoculars at first light, returning home many hours after dark covered in estuarine mud and other indescribable detritus, to face the music! Fulfilling a boyhood dream, Simon worked for the RSPB full-time for fifteen years; the first projects he was involved in were to protect breeding Hen Harriers and Bee-eaters in the North of England. Simon has lectured in ornithology, specialising in a variety of subjects including bird ethology, migration and bird populations. He has worked in farmland bird conservation for the most of his RSPB career and recently worked at the RSPB's headquarters in Sandy. Simon has conducted research on Corn Bunting crop nest site selection and on the seed palatability of farmland granivores. He also co-launched Operation Turtle Dove, co-ordinating efforts in the UK and internationally to save the species from extirpation. Simon has worked as the Conservation Manager for Conservation Grade, working on ground-breaking and exciting conservation projects in Spain, Portugal, Central America, Morocco, Senegal and the Gambia and is widely travelled in these countries, being particularly familiar with their avifauna, lepidoptera and mammalian species. Simon now lives in the epi-centre of migration in Southern Spain, near Tarifa, working on a variety of conservation projects, and tour leading throughout the year for Naturetrek.
Tour Reports
- Tour report - March 2025
- Tour report - March 2025
- Tour report - March 2024
- Tour report - March 2024
- Tour report - March 2023
- Tour report - March 2023
- Tour report - March 2022
- Tour report - March 2022
- Tour report - March 2022
- Tour report - March 2019
- Tour report - March 2019
CLICK TO SEE MOREClick to see less
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!