Why not join us for a winter break and some of the best birding in Europe?. The resident raptors and steppe birds are joined by thousands of Common Cranes.

A Winter Break in the Extremadura (5 days - 4 nights)
Spend your days in the company of an English speaking expert exploring one of the most exciting areas for birdlife in the whole of Europe, where numerous spectacular species can be found during the winter months. Each evening you can then relax in front of an open fire with your friendly hosts and sample a wide range of fine wines from the Extremadura and other famous winemaking regions of Spain.

Guidance
Your will be guided by an expert local guide during the excursions. This guide has wide experience in guiding nature and birdwatching tours. He knows where to find the birds.

Also available for those who prefer to travel on their own and do not required a guide. Send an email or contact us on +34 927 319 350 for more details.

Wine Tasting
Each evening, on the second, third and fourth days, before dinner there will be a wine tasting session. These sessions are tailored to appeal to enthusiasts who wish to learn  more about the qualities of the different wines, their bouquet, taste, appearance, the grapes used and area of origin. The wines sampled will then be served with the dinner.

Food and Accommodation
Each day breakfast, a packed lunch and a 3-course evening meal are provided and all food is home-made and of a high quality. Special dietary needs can be catered for.

Vina Las Torres is a friendly, family run hotel situated away from main roads and set in its own grounds surrounded by woodland and farmland. All eight bedrooms have en-suite facilities, heating, telephones, TVs and mini-bars.

Itinerary
Day 1: From Madrid Barajas Airport then travel by air-conditioned vehicle to the Hotel Vina Las Torres, 10km outside the town of Trujillo. There will be a break in the journey at the Arrocampo Biosphere Reserve where Purple Gallinule, Squacco Heron, Black-shouldered Kites and Bluethroat occur and there is a roost of over 1,000 Cattle Egrets. Upon arrival at the hotel you can enjoy a welcoming drink before dinner.

Day 2: Visit the Caceres Plains to see a variety of birds of the steppes, in particular large flocks of Great and Little Bustard, both Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse and birds of prey including Golden Eagle, Hen Harrier, Merlin and a large concentration of Red Kites. In addition, Hoopoe, Southern Grey Shrike, Calandra Lark, Zitting Cisticola and Corn Bunting are omnipresent.

Day 3: Explore the renowned Monfragüe National Park where the dehesa, forest and rocky cliffs and outcrops provide feeding habitats for birds such as the Spanish Imperial Eagle, Griffon and Black Vulture, Bonelli’s Eagle, Eagle Owl, Chough, Azure-winged Magpie and Blue Rock Thrush to name but a few.  

Day 4: Experience one of the largest concentrations of wintering wildfowl in Spain at the Sierra Brava reservoir and marvel at the huge numbers of Common Cranes, regularly in excess of 30,000 birds. Over-wintering Black and White Storks are also found in this area.

Day 5: Finally, before returning to Madrid, a visit to the Belen Plains close to Trujillo will provide a last opportunity to enjoy some of the special birds of the steppes along with occasional vultures or eagles soaring over the vast open areas in search of food.

Itineraries may change to suit weather conditions, flights schedule or at the discretion of the guide.

Winter weather
The Extremadura has a Mediterranean climate with the weather being predominantly dry, although some rain can occur in winter season. Average temperatures in November and January range between 15º C during the day to 1º to 5º C at night.

Dates
From mid-November until mid-February. No fixed dates, you choose what suits you best.

Price (per person)
870 €  -  ₤ 743 (Price in sterling pounds as and estimate).

This price includes accommodation, meals, wine, transport, guide fees and taxes. This price does not include, air-fares, medical insurance or other incidental expenses. There are no hidden costs.

Booking details
In order to operate the guided tours, a minimum group size of four persons is necessary.

If you have any questions about the winter break please call on +34 927 319 350 or email us on birders@birdwatching-extremadura.com

Testimonials

"Extremadura is a wonderful area for birding.  Our short stay involved day trips to various habitats to encounter different species – great bustards on the llanos, common cranes  in the dehesas and vultures in Monfrague National Park.  Our birding guide, Godfried Schreur, who has lived in the area for 15 years, was a superb bird guide, great all round naturalist and really good company.   All the day excursions were an easy drive from our base – Hotel rural Vina Las Torres near Trujillo. This small, very comfortable hotel is run by a charming family who went to great lengths to ensure we had a good stay.  The locally sourced food was carefully tailored to our special dietary needs without compromising on the quality and regional flavour. The owner, Juan Pedro, also provided some wine tasting sessions which were thoroughly enjoyed by all.  Wines from Extremadura are hard to find outside Spain and so our taste buds were given a special treat as we learned how to judge the intensity of colour and aromatic qualities of a variety of local wine. All in all, top marks and we would all like to return later in the Spring."

Brian & Penny