BIRDWATCHING
MONTEJAQUE AND GRAZALEMA THIS SPRING
SMALL GROUPS UP TO 6 PEOPLE
 |
| Griffon Vulture and a deflated pig. Photo: Eva Bratek |
 |
| Egyptian Vulture photo thanks to Juan Luís Muñoz |
FLOWER WEEKS IN GRAZALEMA NATURAL PARK
GRAZALEMA - WHITE VILLAGE IN THE MOUNTAINS
Walking Holidays in the South of Spain
To book or for more information call us on +44(0)208 385 2024
enquiries@walk-andalucia.com / www.walk-andalucia.com / Walk Andalucia Limited
Discover Andalucia Guided Walking Holidays
Flower Weeks in the Sierra de Grazalema
06-13 April 2013, 18-25 May 2013
"We had a great time ... we enjoyed the walks and the weather!" Cliff Rodgers, October 2012
SPECIAL OFFER ONLY £799 & NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
Holiday Highlights
- Guided single centre walking
- Small friendly groups
- Accommodation in charming rural hotel in an Andalucian white village
- A programme of guided walks in the spectacular Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park
- Excellent regional gastronomy
- Experienced guide - walk with author & ornithologist Eva Bratek
What's Included?
- Airport transfers
- Accommodation
- 7 breakfasts, 5 picnic lunches, 6 dinners including wine
- A full programme of walks
- Any transport to and from walks
Sample Walk:
1. Grazalema - Puerto de Boyar - Puerto de las Presillas – Grazalema (Circular) |
| Male Spanish Ibex photo thanks to Clive Muir |
This
is an excellent walk for spotting the Spanish Ibex - the wild mountain
goats which roam the high peaks of Sierra de Grazalema. In spring the
Ibex babies are born and very soon they start following their mothers
hopping from rock to rock. The walk takes you into the mountains and
surprises you with splendid views without your needing to climb high
mountain peaks. In March, April and May the migratory birds come back
from Africa to their breeding grounds in Europe; the Short-toed and
Booted Eagle, the lovely colourful Bee-eater, a wide variety of
warblers, the Nightingale and many others. This walk is particularly
interesting for botanists, especially wild orchid enthusiasts. Sawfly,
Woodcock and Lizard orchids, among many other species, can be found
along this path. The final part of the walk takes you through the
white-washed village streets and ends at the Grazalema Information
Centre.
Time: 5 hours including wildlife stops and a snack break. Surface: a well-defined, rocky path and a comfortable forest path.
Start and finish of the walk: Grazalema Information Centre
Total time of the outing: 5 hours
GUIDED WALKS WITH EVA:
(DON´T FORGET TO TURN YOUR SPEAKERS ON...)
WHY USE A GUIDE ON YOUR WALKS?
Andalucían landscapes and wildlife have been bringing pleasure to visitors for decades. South of Spain and especially interior Andalucia holds many wonders and surprises. The "real Spain" as many of my customers say, has little to do with beach resorts or whirlwind tours of Andalucían cities.
The "pueblos blancos" where time seems to slow down, the open fields, cork-oak forests where cork is harvested by hand and carried by donkeys, the fields of wildflowers and finally the mountains are the places that one finds hard to forget and sometimes hard to leave.
Based on 15 years of walking in Andalucía I believe that being at one with nature (not at two with nature as Woody Allen once said) while walking is more important to majority of visitors to Spain, instead of just covering the kilometers and hiking as a sport.
How can this be achieved? A good guidebook and a map are a start. Also, there are several excellent publications about wildlife in Spain which you can read before and during your visit and get to know the European Bee-eater or the Sawfly Orchid. Then you pick your walk, take your time to look at the landscapes and enjoy the feeling of being outside, listening, smelling and looking at new things.
Where do I come in as a guide then, you may ask. Anyone who has walked in Andalucía will know that although there are walks which have no navigational issues and are well marked with clear paths, there are hundreds of wonderful routes which have not been described at all in any hiking guides or description is not available in English; many are not waymarked. These also tend to be the more isolated walks where it is much easier to be "at one with nature" and not meet another bipedal creature for miles.
Guides who lead nature walks have their favourite spots and know where to expect a certain bird, plant or a mammal. This makes seeing something special much more likely.
 |
| Look up! Someone is watching you...Spanish Ibex |
Not having to worry about navigation eliminates the slight unease anyone feels when being in unknown territory. No chance of getting lost will help you plan your day - you won´t be late for dinner.
No need to carry lots of equipment, guidebooks, map or GPS - your hands and your mind will be free to take photographs or to just "be".
All the questions you´ve always had about Andalucía can be answered: how often is the cork tree stripped? What exactly is the process of curing Spanish serrano ham? How many kinds of "gazpacho" are there? Do Griffon vultures eat an occasional rabbit or a small hiker? What is that red fruit on the tree?
And finally: sharing nature is a pleasure. It´s contageous and it´s exhilarating, it´s healthy and it´s worthwile, no matter what your age or nationality, it´s a common language possibly easiest to learn. Let´s meet in the fields and the mountains to speak this special language and enjoy the day.
For practical information please scroll to the top and follow the links on the right.
 |
| Your intrepid guide |
"I
thoroughly enjoyed the trip - for us as novices and not being
particularly fit, the level of difficulty was just right. You were aware
of our needs and were able to guide us to some lovely spots, improving
our knowledge step-by-step , rather than confusing us with too much
detailed birding info".
L and B. M., Littlehampton, U.K.
"I would like to thank you again for the lovely hike you organised for us!
I was afraid the hike would get drowned in that bad weather, but I had a lovely day thanks to your guidance.
Great
panoramic views in the sun, a herd of ibex within the first 5 minutes
- thanks for pointing them out Eva I would not have spotted them
myself... And the walk was enriched by the stories and explanations you
gave us, plus the good advice about the tapas - thank you Tony!"
Fédérique Harmsze, Holland
"Appreciated
your knowledge beyond merely the viewing of flowers,birds and animals
and willingness to give additional information"
D.J Hides, Sheffield, UK
