Day 1: Málaga airport - Cazorla
Meet and welcome near Málaga airport. Transfer towards the province of Jaén, with some birding on route. Dinner and accomodation in Cazorla, where we'll be based for 3 nights.
Days 2-3: "Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas" Natural Park
Welcome to the biggest Natural Park in the south of Spain, home to large mediterranean forests and dramatic peaks the Bearded Vultures have decided to live in. On these journeys we will be checking stunning viewpoints along tracks, but also enjoy some walks to access impressive cliffs. Besides Lammergeyer, we can find birds such as Red-billed Chough, Griffon Vulture, Booted Eagle, Alpine Swift, Crag Martin and Western Bonelli's Warbler. There will be excellent chances to see Red Deer, Fallow Deer and Mouflon. As for plants, we will discover some Cazorla endemisms such as Viola Cazorlensis.
Day 4: Sierra Morena - Antequera
After an early breakfast we will head towards another mighty spot for wildlife in Spain: the Sierra de Andújar. This Natural Park is renown for being the main stronghold of Iberian Lynx*. But this is also great for spanish bird endemisms such as Spanish Imperial Eagle, Iberian Magpie and Iberian Green Woodpecker. After lunch we will go on a 2 h transfer to Antequera.
* Please note we will not be looking for the Lynx on this tour. To join a lynx tour please have a look at our other lynx tours here and here.
Days 5: Steppe birds
A day to to look for steppic birds across the olive groves and farmlands of central Andalusia. Great Bustard, Little Bustard and Roller are considered the jewel of the crown of this IBA. Good chances to find Hoopoe, Fan-tailed Warbler and Lesser Kestrel. We'll also keep our ears to hear Stone-curlew and Calandra Lark. After relaxing on our hotel during the late afternoon, we will enjoy sightseeing the historic centre of Antequera. Álvaro has spent 1 year living there and enjoys showing it -but almost as much as showing birds-.
Day 6: Fuente de Piedra - Torcal
A day to visit the biggest Greater Flamingo breeding colony in Spain, where we can also find White-headed Duck, Gull-billed Tern, Black-winged Stilt and Avocet. Then we will pass back through Antequera and head to El Torcal de Antequera Natural Site, an unparalleled laberynth of Jurassic limestone, where we will see fossils and enjoy excellent chances to photograph Iberian Ibex at a reasonable distance. If the group agrees, we can follow a track into the highest hills to look for the scarce Rufuous Rock Thrush and the beautiful Black-eared Wheatear. Other common birds in El Torcal are Rock Sparrow, Melodious Warbler, Black Redstart and Rock Bunting.
Day 7: Antequera - Málaga airport
Our last day of this tour -and if flight schedules allow- we will do some birding before getting to Málaga airport, where the tour ends.
