The Spanish Pyrenees

A thoroughly enjoyable week in the Spanish Pyrenees, with much wildlife and great scenery. We visited a range of different locations in a fairly compact area, without the need for lots of travelling. The alpine meadows were glorious, with flowers, butterflies and birds aplenty. Our leaders were good company and very knowledgeable. The food in our pleasant lodging was expertly prepared with fresh local ingredients every day. Overall a very relaxing holiday.

A week in the Spanish Pyrenees packed with wildlife of all sorts which anyone could enjoy. The pace was quite gentle but with beautiful views and an outstanding guide there were plenty of thrills. Recommended to anyone who enjoys a refreshing break full of wild wonders. Naturetrek were really well organised and everything went according to plan. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

The small Spanish hotel as our base was an excellent choice with great meals etc. The added bonus was the owner is a very keen birder and butterflies and plants and knows the surrounding area very well. He came on our daily trips as a co leader so we got see the best areas for plants, etc, at that time. We got to walk in some amazing high valleys in the Spanish Pyrenees. Philip Thompson has an amazing knowledge of all the flora and fauna and is very good at pointing out what you see on the walks. He is very organised and always explained what the next days walks would be like so you were well prepared. He is also very good at attending to any customers needs.

I had a long awaited trip to the Spanish Pyrenees with Naturetrek. The booking had been rolled over twice from 2020 because of the Covid epidemic. The highlight of the trip was seeing Eurasian Wildcat on the first afternoon. We had spectacular views of this magnificent cat. The accommodation was lovely in Casa Sarasa which set against the backdrop of Berdun a picturesque town in the Aragon Region of Spain. There was fantastic scenery and wildlife-many birds and butterflies together with lots of wild flowers. It was a truly memorable trip, my first to mainland Spain. Naturetrek run fantastic holidays for those who are interested in wildlife and nature. They are extremely knowledgeable and very efficient in terms of handling the bookings for their trips. The tour leaders and guides are excellent. This was my 5th trip with them.

A weeks holiday in the Spanish Pyrenees looking at the wildlife and flora of the area. The accommodation in Berdun was a comfortable and charming guest house, set in a magnificent location. The owners were friendly and welcoming and could not do enough to ensure that their guests were well looked after. The food was superb, buffet breakfasts, picnic lunches and a three course meal at night. All the produce was fresh, and the dishes local. The tour leaders Phil and Peter complemented each other with their knowledge, and made a formidable team. They were enthusiastic and friendly, and altered the itinerary in line with the weather, making sure our party got the most out of the stay.

This Naturetrek holiday was an introduction, for me, to the Spanish Pyrenees. The flight was met by our Local Spanish Guide and we were accompanied by the tour guide from London. The family run hotel was delightful and we travelled in two new minibuses, driven by our guides. We had a good living room to hold meetings in and a friendly atmosphere was immediately established with all guests adding to the knowledge of the guides. As a beginner, I really appreciated the immense amount of knowledge that was available. As a single traveller, I enjoyed the communal meals and made some good friends.

Dawn and Toby made an excellent team, because Toby's more extrovert and lighthearted approach blended well with Dawn's more serious attitude.

The two leaders complemented each other extremely well - a mix of lightheartedness and purposeful organisation ensured that a varied clientele were always well catered for.

Gerald was superb and held the tour together with his strong personality and excellent knowledge.

Both Gerald and Philip appeared confident, very approachable and provided excellent advice on identification of birds, butterflies and plants - both are obviously experts in their fields and fully complemented each other. Although I am not particularly interested in plants, Philip's obvious enthusiasm did rub off occasionally on me! Traditional Spanish meals at Emilio's were very good, with pleasant, helpful staff and waitresses.

The accommodation, food and hospitality were outstanding!

The trip leaders, Phil and Byron, worked extremely well together. Their driving was excellent at all times, in addition to their good awareness, patience, knowledge and ability to enthuse in all different spheres. They both have a great sense on humour which makes all the difference to this sort of holiday with such a mixed bag of punters! Accommodation was great too - Melanie and Peter are excellent hosts and made sure we were comfortable and well catered for at every meal, with a great variety of fresh food with a good Spanish/English mix.

I came on this birds and flowers holiday with only a basic knowledge of European birds and little more on flora. The interest grew and grew with the excellence of our guides. The whole trip was way above my expectations. I will definitely do another Naturetrek holiday in the future. The accommodation was extremely good and going out each day through beautiful valleys and gorges was a most enjoyable experience in great company. Thanks a lot.

This is the third nature holiday I have taken with Naturetrek and have nothing but praise for their professionalism in organising a truly wonderful experience every time. We travelled through northern Spain to the Spanish Pyrenees and enjoyed the various areas shown to us. The accommodation was first class, and the guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. I look forward to receiving the [next] Naturetrek brochure so that I can book my next excellent holiday with them. Thanks to all the people behind the scenes who organise these remarkable holidays.

Knowledgeable leaders - Phil knew the area and where to go for good spotting. Lovely, friendly hotel, it was particularly nice that the group filled the hotel and the owners supported us well. Fantastic landscape, scenery and flowers etc.