Wolf-watching in Spain

It is very difficult to see the Wolf’, said Señor Mozo. Then, indicating numerous points all over a large map of the area, he added ‘he can be anywhere’! Our chances of a Wolf sighting looked slim, yet, by the time of our first tours in March 2006, Naturetrek staff had paid 14 visits to the region and had successfully encountered Wolves on all but one of those visits. We have been delighted that this success rate has proved sustainable whilst visiting in groups, with 90% of our tours in the many years since having seen Wolf. We have also seen Wild Boar and 16 species of birds of prey. Wolfwatching can, indeed, seem very difficult during the long hours that need to be put in to track down such a notoriously elusive animal, but we believe that on this tour you have as good a chance as any of actually seeing a Wolf in Europe!

The Cordillera Cantábrica and its outlying ranges hold the vast majority of Spain’s 2,500 to 3,000 Wolves and are the stronghold of the species in Europe. This is a population that has increased markedly since an estimated all-time low of just 500 individuals in 1970. The depopulation of Spain’s rural regions, as Spaniards have increasingly migrated into the cities, has benefitted the Wolf, as has a changing attitude towards an animal that was once viciously persecuted. The ancient villages of this particular region in Spain are largely deserted, with hardly an occupied house in each. For this reason, so too are the mountains … left for reclamation by Wolves, Brown Bears, Wild Boar, and numerous Chamois, Red Deer and Roe Deer, not to mention a host of smaller mammals such as Iberian and Brown Hare, Beech Marten, Pine Marten and Wildcat.

Our base for this week-long exploration of this little-known mountain wildlife haven is a comfortable hotel in Aguilar de Campoo, an historic town known for its medieval castle and biscuit-making industry. Aguilar lies on the doorstep of a truly wild landscape, comprising high mountain ridges rich in alpine flora, jagged crags and cliffs, and vast oak and Beech forests which support three packs of Wolves and a high percentage of the endangered eastern population of the European Brown Bear. Looking for Wolves requires a great deal of persistence, patience and stealth. It also requires a lot of luck, not least with the weather! During the early and late hours of each day, our local Spanish naturalist guide, Tino, will use his 4-wheel drive vehicles to take us to remote viewpoints for opportunities to scan from high ridges for Bears, Wolves, Wild Boar and other mammals. He will make us feel very much at home, sharing a rich passion for, and knowledge of, these mountains … and regaling us with tales of close encounters with both Bears and Wolves.

Tino is an expert in finding and interpreting animal tracks and signs left by Wolf, Brown Bear, Fox, Beech Marten, Badger, Wild Boar and deer, and will give us a masterclass in tree identification. We will also learn about the medicinal, culinary and other uses which the various plants and fungi that we shall see are put to. His local knowledge is very much central to our daily outings, with the majority of each day spent on foot in quiet locations accessed by vehicle. A range of habitats can be found in close proximity, with a full suite of raptors present, including resident Golden Eagles and Peregrines, and both Griffon and Egyptian Vultures. Black and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers both breed here, the latter possibly being easier to see here than throughout much of the rest of its range.

Completing the picture in these wonderful mountains are the stone carvings of ancient Romanesque churches, the old rock hermitage of San Vicente, interesting old dovecotes and dwellings at Guaza de Campos and the historical centre of Aguilar de Campoo. There really is something here for everyone.

Flexibility will be the key to this tour and, whatever time we arrive back at our cottages, we can be sure that a hearty meal will be waiting for us on our return each day from the wilds of this forgotten corner of Europe. It will be hard to leave!