The realm of the golden eagle

Sierra Mágina

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Duration

5 days / 4 nights

Tour Type

Daily Tour

Group Size

8 people

Languages

English, Espanol

Overview

A GEM IN THE HEART OF OLIVE OIL COUNTRY and DOMAIN OF THE GOLDEN EAGLE.

Based in our hotel placed in the heart of the natural park, situates us perfectly for routes throughout this colossus of a sierra – at 7,100 feet, the highest in the region. A chance to combine the riches of an area known for its outstanding nature, including an exceptional array of botany, and the life, lore and cuisine of a culture and its age-old relationship with “liquid gold” -olive oil.

This is the Realm of the Golden eagle, so if you want to enjoy its wonderful aerial courtship displays, hunting flight or the majestic view of an eagle perching, you have to come to Sierra Mágina.

Information

The rugged Sierra Mágina Natural Park covers 19,900ha of rocky, steep limestone terrain, with precipitous cliffs and high summits that are often snow-capped in winter. A mountain range home to the greatest density of Golden eagle in Europe.

It is as well home to an extraordinary variety and number of wild plants; hardy plants growing on the upper slopes are unique to the park and its abundant wildflowers and aromatic plants add a richness of colour and scent to the Sierra. Due to wide variations in climate and terrain within the park, there is a wealth of wildlife, including many orchids and wild mushrooms, as well as native plant species, some of which are exclusive to the Sierra.

In such magnificent natural space you can see Bonelli’s eagle, Goshawk, Peregrine, Eagle owl, Red-tailed rock and Blue-rock trush, Red-billed chough, Crag martin, Alpine swift, Ring ouzel, Golden oriole, Black wheatear, Cirl bunting, and if we are very lucky, maybe a Wallcreeper fleeing from the cold of Northern Europe. And…not only birds: Wild boar, Spanish ibex, Ocellated lizard, Montpellier snake, Snub-nose viper. Invertebrates like the grasshopper Eumigus monticola, which is native to Andalusia, and butterflies like the threatened Purple shot copper Lycaena alciphron, Two-tailed pasha Charaxes jasius, and the rare Mazarine blue Cyaniris semiargus.

5 Days / 4 Nights

Minimum group: 3 people

Maximum group: 8 people

HIGHLIGHTS

Dates: 2019. April 8th – 12th
Group Size: Min 3- Max 8 people
Price based on sharing a twin/double room. Single room supplement € 80 per person.
Optional service: Pick-up & drop-off at Malaga or Madrid Airport. Please, ask us about this option

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival at our meeting point in the village of Torres, and checking into our hotel. If we have time, we can do a short excursion in the surrounding area.

Day 2

Right to the heart of the sierra, and at an impressive 1750 m. - the highest accessible point by vehicle, our route takes us to El Caño del Aguadero, combining landscapes of dramatic mountain peaks and open highland meadows of exceptional botanical interest.

Day 3

A foodie morning visiting the Olive Oil Museum, to know about the olive oil culture and for olive oil tasting. After that, we’ll go for birding to the Laguna Grande Lagoon, the biggest of the province, placed next to the Museum. Late afternoon we’ll go to the foot of a spectacular cliff. Rising dramatically out of myriad olive groves and lands of Mediterranean fruit trees such as almond, cherry and fig, is the immense rock face known as El Torcal. Here, traditional rural activity meets spectacular, rugged countryside.

Day 4

Early breakfast and we’ll head down to the valley of the Guadalquivir river. We’ll visit the wetlands and marshes along the valley. It is an important area for breeding and migrating birds, as well as overwintering waterfowls.

Day 5

End of the tour.

Included/Excluded

4 Nights accommmodation with private facilities in charming rural Hotel
4x4 transport during the tour
Use of quality optical equipment
All meals, being a pic-nic for lunch

Extra food/drink to normal meal times
Alcoholic drinks
Transfer to/from airport
Item of personal nature
Tips/gratuites

FAQs

Our guides are provided of high quality optical equipment (binoculars and telescopes). However, it is highly recommendable to bring your own set.

According to the targeted species, 300 to 600 mm lens are recommendable. Macro lens, photo filters for landscapes and tripods can be very useful, as well as replacement memory cards and batteries.

Our guides will get clients advice about different facts like local species, species behaviour or responsible wild fauna photography.

Although humid, winter conditions are not extremely cold (around 0ºC), reaching low values like – 6º C when a cold snap occurs. Warm and waterproof boots, warm clothing, gloves, winter cap, scarf and rain coat, in case of rainy conditions, are recommendable.

In spite of occasional heat waves and cold snaps, mild climate conditions are the predominant during spring and autumn. It is recommendable to wear warn clothes, rain coats and confortable waterproof footwear. Sun cream is also recommendable.

In summer, temperatures may overcome 40º C during the day while nights stay warn. Therefore, cool clothing, confortable shoes, long trouser, sunglasses, insect repellent and sun cream are the best option.

Please, don’t forget to avoid bright colours.

In spite of exploring the best areas with the most skilled guides, none species sightings, including Lammergeier is guaranteed. Our company counts with a high percentage of success.

We are focused on wildlife conservation. So, please follow any time our guide’s advice and never put your personal interest before animal welfare.

AEFONA (Wildlife Photographers Assotiation) and Lynx, Wolf and Bear Ethic Code must be applied.

Our aim is to offer you places with the best location and the best personalized service in order to make your stay pleasant. To this end, we work with the best housing services in the natural spaces we visit. For further information, please click this link:

To get the best wildlife observations, early morning is the desirable departure time.

However, departure time will be set once you find your accommodation and adapted to every season.

The length of the full-day journeys is 8 - 9 hours, adapting them to the weather conditions given by different seasons. Thus, the best option is to try to get and advantage of the best hours to spot fauna. It is recommendable to avoid central hours, which can be used to rest when days are very long from May to September.

In winter, full-day journeys from dawn until dusk will be the main option, including pic-nic on the way.

We focus on local products and traditional recipes based on Mediterranean food, offered in the accommodation places we work with. Tell us if you have any food intolerance and we will report it.

Breakfast is served just before leaving in the morning. Meal may be pic-nic, if we stay outside, or in the hotel if weather conditions are not suitable (especially in late spring-summer-early autumn), going back to the countryside in the evening.

During journeys we take water. However, we recommend taking some extra water bottle by clients in case of major need.

Our guides are English skilled.

In order you give you the best our guides have a broad knowledge of the region highlighting nature and fauna. We are a team made up with people with different backgrounds based on biology, environmental sciences, photography, etc. Moreover, we count on gender equality.

For further information check our TEAM section.

Vehicles are Four-Wheel Drive, confortable and fitted with air conditioning and heating.

In order to optimize car use we recommend 3 clients per vehicle.

Cazorla is the largest Natural Park in Spain. We will travel long journeys throuhgt forest tracks in order to show you the most remarkable spotting places.

The accomodation will be in the natural park.

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from €890,00

Date

15/10/2024

Adults

Age 18+

Single Room(€80,00)