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Picos & Páramos
Monday 9 - Wednesday 18 May 2005 (10 days) |
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© Jamie McMillan/Nature Portfolio  The village of Pido, close to our hotel |
Led by Teresa Farino on her own patch, this tour aims to compare and contrast two fabulous limestone regions which, although in close proximity, belong to very different worlds. Narcissi and gentians, Wallcreepers and Isard in the Picos de Europa for starters, followed by a complementary dose of Hoopoes and Orioles, peonies and cornflowers on the high plateaux of northern Castile, with lashings of raptors and spring-flowering bulbs throughout, including around 35 species of orchid.This two-base holiday starts amid the magnificent mountain scenery of the Picos de Europa where, from a friendly family-run hotel close to Fuente Dé, we shall revel in the flower-filled haymeadows, ancient deciduous woodlands and Mediterranean evergreen forest of the valleys, also taking the cable car up to explore the subalpine habitats in the 'lunar landscape' above 2,000 metres. After five nights in the Picos, we head south to the high plateaux, or páramos, of northern Castile, for a complete change of scenery. At the charmingly restored convent of Santa María de Mave, complete with its own Romanesque church, we are ideally located to venture out into the surrounding tablelands, in some places seemingly barren expanses of rock, but actually teeming with wildlife, in others the meagre soil used to cultivate cereals, although often hosting more wildflowers than crops! From here we shall also visit the limestone 'sculpture city' of Las Tuerces, and the spectacular canyon carved out by the infant Ebro. The main focus of this trip will be flowers and birds, although we can also hope for around 45 species of butterfly, and numerous encounters with reptiles and amphibians. Our main mammal is likely to be the Isard in the Picos, although a previous Travelling Naturalist trip to this part of the Castilian plains chanced upon an Iberian Wolf standing by the side of the road! The Picos is renowned as a walkers' paradise, and both areas certainly lend themselves to walking more than driving about. There will be a little more walking on this trip than on many of our others, some of which may be on fairly steep tracks and hillsides. Itinerary Day 1 After flying into Bilbao, we shall make our way to our hotel in the picturesque red-roofed village of Espinama, at the head of the Camaleño valley in the Picos de Europa, stopping for a quick foray into the Liencres sand-dune reserve en route, if flight times permit. Overnight Espinama Days 2 - 5 The Cantabrian sector of the Picos de Europa offers so many opportunities for rewarding days in the field that we are spoilt for choice, but we will be aiming to take in all the main ecosystems on offer here in the first part of the tour. Our first day is usually occupied by a stroll through the superb haymeadows and beechwoods close to the hotel, where we should encounter a dozen or so species of orchid, including Man, Barton's and Bird's-nest, plus Sawfly and Dull Ophrys, as well as drifts of the lovely Angel's-tears narcissus, Pyrenean squill and Dog's-tooth-violets. Woodland birds include Tree Pipit, Short-toed Treecreeper and Bonelli's Warbler, with Red-backed Shrike and Rock Bunting in more open areas, while any one of the 18 species of raptor recorded in the Picos at this time of year might cruise overhead. Another day will be spent on the lower-level limestone near Lebeña, where we can hope for Sword-leaved Helleborine, Common Tongue, Burnt and Sicilian Orchids, Pyrenean Snakeshead and Pyrenean Lily, with birds of the Pyrenean Oak forest here including Middle-Spotted Woodpecker. As a complete contrast, we will also spend a day exploring the more Mediterranean habitats of Tolibes, this time on acid shales, with Pink Butterfly and Green-winged Orchids and Star-of-Bethlehem among the notable plants. Marbled Newt and many species of lizard - Ocellated, Western Green, Iberian Wall and Large Psammodromus, to name but a few - are also found here. Possible birds are Wryneck, Woodlark, Cirl Bunting and, again, Middle-spotted Woodpecker. A highlight of the trip for many is the chance to explore the subalpine habitats at around 2,000 metres, accessed via a swift cable-car ride from Fuente Dé. As we stroll across a carpet of Spring and Trumpet Gentians we shall be looking out for local endemics such as Narcissus asturiensis, Anemone pavoniana and the glorious yellow saxifrage Saxifraga felineri. Birdwise, the attractions here are essentially montane species such as Water Pipit, Alpine Accentor, Snowfinch and Alpine Accentor, as well as the notoriously elusive Wallcreeper. Other creatures of interest are Common Midwife Toad, Alpine Newt and, of course, the king of this realm, the Isard. Four nights Espinama Day 6 During our transfer to Mave we will stop off at the 1,345-metre pass of Piedrasluengas, where sheets of wild daffodils Narcissus pseudonarcissus ssp. nobilis are on offer, as well as Violet Mountain Pansy, Aconite-leaved Buttercup and several species of saxifrage. Once onto the plains, we shall stop briefly near Barrio de Santa María, where a quite different range of birds can be found - White Stork, Nightingale, Rock Sparrow, Golden Oriole and both Red and Black Kites - as well as our first Lady Orchids. Overnight Mave Days 7 - 9 The limestone 'sculpture city' of Las Tuerces is our first stop, with a fabulous range of plants on offer, including Saxifraga cuneata, Yellow Bird's-nest, Grape-hyacinth, Wild Tulip, Champagne Orchids, Yellow and Woodcock Ophrys and Violet Limodore. Birdwise we can hope for our first harriers - both Hen and Montagu's occur here - as well as Blue Rock Thrush and Melodious Warbler. Subsequent days will be spent exploring the upland plateau of La Lora and the river gorge known as the Hoces del Ebro. The Páramo de la Lora, often referred to as the 'Spanish Burren' is a windswept tableland which at first sight looks fairly unpromising. The plants are fabulous, however, with highlights including masses of the scarlet-flowered Paeonia officinalis ssp. microcarpa, Tassel Hyacinth, Hoop-petticoat Daffodil and huge numbers of orchids, among them Barton's, Provence, Dense-flowered and Early Spider Ophrys. Birds of the plateau again include both Hen and Montagu's Harriers, plus Hoopoe, Rock Thrush, Short-toed Lark, Tawny Pipit, Subalpine Warbler and Southern Grey Shrike. We must also look out for Spring Ringlet, as the páramo hosts an isolated colony of this rare species. The canyon carved out by the infant Ebro is quite spectacular, and we aim to stroll through the depths, with the sheer buttresses rising on either side hosting a huge colony of Griffon Vulture plus lesser numbers of Egyptian Vulture, Golden and Bonelli's Eagles, Peregrine and Eagle Owl. Among the plants on offer here are Purple Toothwort, Blue Aphyllanthes and Military Orchid, with birds including Iberian Chiffchaff and Golden Oriole and butterflies including Duke of Burgundy Fritillary and Spanish Festoon. Three nights Mave Day 10: We drive back to Bilbao for the return flight to London. Accommodation Our first base is a two-star hotel in Espinama, at the head of the Camaleño valley, with comfortable, well-appointed rooms, all with private facilities, and excellent home cooking. Some of the group may be accommodated - along with the leaders - in the adjacent guesthouse, but all meals will be taken in the main hotel. Our second base is the picturesque Convento de Santa María de Mave, near Aguilar de Campóo, where again all rooms are en suite and the restaurant has an extremely high reputation. And Teresa's picnics are legendary! Principal Leader: Teresa Farino |
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Numbers: Maximum 14 clients Price: £ 1,295 Single supp.: £ 135 Deposit: £ 200 per person The price is per person, and is fully inclusive of 9 nights' accommodation as detailed above, meals, return scheduled flight London-Bilbao, transport, and leadership. The price excludes holiday insurance, optional tips to the local drivers/guides, drinks and other personal expenses. |
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