Spain's Picos de Europa Mountains

A good two centre holiday of nature field trips around the valleys and peaks of the Picos. Wonderful upland grasslands full of flowers, orchids and butterflies. We were very lucky to see a magnificent adult lammergeier glide close by us. ‘Good eyes’ in our leaders and the group made many memorable sightings. Our accommodation was comfortable, the crew in Arenas de Cabrales were incredibly welcoming. Naturetrek staff were very helpful and supportive during initial enquiries and throughout the pre-departure phase. Transport was comfortable. The tour leaders kept us going with local knowledge, briefings and resourcefulness.

The guides, Matthew and Laura, couldn't be faulted and made the holiday so interesting and pleasurable. They made sure everyone saw as much as possible and answered all questions with knowledge and courtesy. The feedback sessions after each day were very good and helpful and Matthew and Laura's picnics were so good and varied. The itinerary was excellent and I loved the time given to look and learn.

I really enjoyed this holiday. The picnic lunches deserve a special mention. The leaders were great company throughout. Birds, flowers, scenery, great food, good weather and a great group of people. What more could you want? Thank you.

Jenny has a wide knowledge of the flowers and was meticulous in looking up those she had not seen before. She recorded each find. She gave clear reasons for the identification as far as she could. She led clearly and diplomatically. Matt showed keen enthusiasm for the birds, butterflies and the area. He had put much effort into preparing for the tour.

I've travelled with Maureen Ponting before and know how good she is. I hadn't met Matt Hobbs but was most impressed - both with his helpfulness and with his willingness to go the extra mile - literally in the case of fetching the bus to save our legs. His picnic salads were a revelation - hazelnut waldorf salad, freshly prepared, above Fuente De had passing hikers queuing up for a taste.

The general content, organisation and trip leaders were brilliant! Every day somewhere different, with some new species and repeats of others (helpful to the old memory!); adjustments made to the itinerary because of dry conditions worked out well. We saw an amazing number of plants (with the aid of Maureen's identification) and birds and butterflies - latter identified conclusively through Matt’s excellent digital photography and photographic butterfly book. I am very grateful to both Matt and Maureen for their help and patience. Matt was well-organised, knowledgeable and very concerned about every individual in the group. He appeared very calm and in control and was an excellent driver (not to be distracted on winding roads, which was reassuring!).

This holiday was great fun, with a really nice group of people and some excellent birding in spectacular surroundings. My only complaint is I put on weight due to the delicious food!

Both leaders were absolutely excellent. They were very knowledgeable, approachable, always patient and good natured whatever questions were thrown at them! They took care to provide us with an interesting lunch and looked after less agile members when necessary.

A beautiful remote area and we were lucky with the weather. Andrew and Lee were superb leaders - expert in the field, friendly and communicative. As a group, they looked after our every need. We would be delighted to travel with them again.

I would particularly enjoy another tour with these two leaders who are both exceptional.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the holiday and look forward to my next Naturetrek trip!

Lee is an outstanding leader; his expertise in all fields, his dedication, concern, humanity and hard work are fantastic. Organisation was brilliant, always doing the right thing at the right time.

Lee was outstanding as leader. Very knowledgeable, especially on plants, good at organisation of day-to-day itinerary, also at assessing folks' capabilities re walking. Very pleasant guy and unfailingly helpful. Jim was very good at backup and his ornithological knowledge is first rate.

Lee Morgan was an excellent communicator and endlessly interested in our finds and helping us identify them (my primary interest was plants). Both he and Jim were good company and ensured our very diverse group had their individual interests catered for.

I enjoyed all the walks and not being on the van for too long. The picnics are always lovely and the shared knowledge of like minded people who are always only too pleased to share it. Very pleasant company.