Birds of Northern Spain
See some of Europe’s most spectacular birds. We travel from the mountains of the Bearded Vulture, to the plains of the migratory Grey Crane.
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Holiday Price
No Single Supplement
Solo travellers have their own private ensuite bedroom, at no extra cost.
Covid19
Holidays 2021
Your safety is paramount, so we have reduced the number of weeks we are offering for 2021. This means that between each holiday there is a minimum disinfection period of 4 days. Giving us enough time to clean and disinfect the hotel, all equipment and transport, ensuring we are safe and ready for your visit.
More than ever, the emphasis is on small groups. The combination of couples, friends, family members or solo travellers will determine the maximum number on any particular holiday (from 2 to 8), so please enquire for availability.
The deposit is small (just €150) and we are only asking for the balance to be paid three weeks in advance of departure date.
If you have to cancel, any advance payment may be transferred to another holiday, or another person, with no time limit.
We look forward to welcoming you to our corner of the Spanish Pyrenees.
Trip Overview
Holiday Price
“I stayed on a group bird watching trip and had a fantastic time. The scenery is amazing…..we saw beautiful Bearded vultures, skies filled with Grey Cranes flying over us, calling to each other, and we even saw Great Bustards” Ellen. Nottingham. UK
A unique opportunity to see some of the most spectacular birds in Europe. From close up views of Bearded Vultures, to Wallcreeper’s, Great Bustards and thousands of Grey Cranes. These are just a few of the highlights on our 7 day trip, ‘Birds of Northern Spain’.
Based initially in the Spanish Pyrenees you will be staying 4 nights at our renovated 17th century farmhouse. We are Simon and Lucy your hosts.
Here you visit the mountains of the Bearded vulture, with a morning in a hide. We spend a day in the National Park of Ordesa in search of the Black Woodpecker and look for the Wallcreeper, before moving south to the steppes of Zaragoza.
Our second base is on the shores of the Gallocanta lake. The 2 nights here are timed to coincide with the spectacle of thousands of Grey Cranes; they rest here on their migration North.
The following day, accompanied by a local guide, we explore the steppes east of Zaragoza, home of Dupont’s Lark, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse and Great Bustards.
We are passionate about wildlife and birds, as are our carefully selected Nature Experts.
Join us as we discover the birds of Northern Spain. The group size is limited to a maximum of 8 people. All accommodation is on a private room basis with bathroom. There is no single supplement.
Why not organise a group of friends! With a minimum of 6 people we can make this a private, tailor made holiday.
Walking Grade
Birds of Northern Spain
The walking is easy to moderate on our Birds of Northern Spain Holiday. The pace will be slow, with regular stops. We will always have a watchful eye for birds and other wildlife.
The bullet point itinerary below gives an idea of what we will be doing during a typical week.
To receive a full itinerary please enter your email address at the end of this section and we will email it to you.
DAY 1: Arrival
- Afternoon arrival Zaragoza. Transfer to Albella (included).
- Dinner and a chance to meet the group.
DAY 2: Lammergeier & Wallcreeper (Day 1)
- The hides accommodate 4 people so we divide the group in two.
- Group A – mountain hide to see Lammergeier close up!
- Group B – leave with a local guide to Wallcreeper habitat.
DAY 3: Lammergeier & Wallcreeper (Day 2)
- Group A and B swop places.
DAY 4 : Ordesa
- The group is back together and we visit the spectacular Ordesa National Park.
- In the deciduous woods we should see Firecrests, a variety of different tits and perhaps a Black Woodpecker.
DAY 5: Steppes of Planerón
- We head south to Gallocanta, breaking up the journey at a reservoir where we hope to see Bearded Reedlings, Great Egrets and other waterfowl.
- We then continue south visiting the ornithological reserve at Planerón. Home to larks, including Dupont’s Lark and Lesser Short-toed Lark.
- This is an amazing Steppe landscape.
- We continue to Gallocanta and our second base on the trip.
DAY 6:Spectacle of the Cranes
- As dawn breaks we visit the lakeside to see the spectacle of thousands of Grey Cranes take to the skies.
- After breakfast we continue to explore the lake shore with a local guide. Birds around the lake include Great Bustards and Pin-tailed Sandgrouse.
- In the afternoon we make the short trip to Zaragoza for onward connections.
DAY 7: Gallocanta lakeside
- Our final morning at Gallocanta.
- A second opportunity to witness the spectacle of the cranes at dawn.
- After breakfast we continue to explore the lake shore with our local guide.
- After a picnic lunch we make the short trip to Zaragoza for onward connections.
Accommodation
The base for our Wildlife Walking Holidays Spain is our 17th century farmhouse, Casa Allué. It nestles on the hillside in the small farming hamlet of Albella, within the Pyrenees Geopark and close to the National Park of Ordesa and the Natural Park of Sierra de Guara.
The Farmhouse
We undertook a major restoration project to transform Casa Allué into both a family home and a “must stay” destination.
The transformation complete, we have created a home from home. The bedrooms are spacious with luxury en suite bathrooms and thermostatic rain showers. All have mountain views with plenty of natural light. Four have stone balconies, perfect for star gazing, as the night skies here are breathtaking.
Each room is named after the wildlife that surrounds the house.
We love to cook and we prepare all your meals using only locally sourced, or our own organic produce. We can cater for all dietary requirements. The flavour is definitely Spanish, but often with a twist!
But it’s not just the accommodation and food that make our holidays stand out! See our section What Makes Us Different!
And for more information on our farmhouse, Casa Allué, visit our page Guest House Accommodation.
How to Get to Albella
When considering the options below why not add on a couple of nights to include a city break.
Flying to Zaragoza
Our nearest airport is Zaragoza. Ryan Air offer flights all year round from London Stansted.
Arrival time in Zaragoza is normally 16.40 and departure 17.05. We do offer a pick up and drop off service – see below.
Flying to Barcelona (El Prat) & Madrid
Barcelona and Madrid are hubs for international flights from outside Europe. If you are arriving from the USA, Canada, Australia or another international destination these are the best options.
There are also flights from many UK airports. All the low cost airlines fly to both cities.
If you are looking for cheap flights try Momondo or Skyscanner.
We can provide transfers from both Zaragoza airport and Zaragoza train station, the cost is €70 return. Our pick up and drop off times are below.
Pick-up: 17:00 airport / 17:15 train station.
Drop-off: 15:00 train station / 15:15 airport.
The journey time for the high speed AVE train from Barcelona-Sants and Madrid to Zaragoza-Delicias is approximately 1½ hours.
To find train times and prices try the 
site direct or GoEuro. The latter also gives times and prices for travel by bus and car.
Prices by train are approximately 90 euros return from either Barcelona or Madrid. Trains can be booked 3 months in advance.
Be aware that paying with a foreign credit card can be problematic, however, using the same card via PayPal is very straightforward – we speak from experience and are here to help if you run into problems!
From Zaragoza it is two hours to our base in the Pyrenees.
Transfers from other airports can be arranged and would be charged on a pro rata basis.
Just Some of Our Reviews on this Holiday…
Read more of the 150+ independent reviews we have on TripAdvisor
(0034) 679 345 623
holidays@aragonactive.com
Aragon Active, Calle San Urbez,
22371, Albella, Huesca, Spain.
Aragon Active Holidays