• An adult bearded vulture flies straight towards us in the hides on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees
  • A group of common cranes begin to display with heads and beaks turned skywards on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees
  • An adult bearded vulture glides on thermals towards the hides where we are watching on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees
  • A grouip of four common cranes on the lake shore at gallocanta begin to display turning their heads upwards on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees
  • An adult bearded vulture turns as it comes towards the hides so we see the whole of its underneath including the beard on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees
  • A group of common cranes display with thier beaks up in the air at gallocanta on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees

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.

Click on one of the icons below to find out more!

Nature Experts
Guided Walks
Fully Inclusive
Small Group
Stay in Comfort

Holiday Price
€1395 per person

No Single Supplement
Solo travellers have their own private ensuite bedroom, at no extra cost.

Voted the Best of the Best Read our

Trip Gallery:

A close up of a common crane at the gallocanta lagoon on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees
Two adult bearded vultures tussle on the groun in front of the hides on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees
A white stork stands on the nest of rough twigs on a roof top on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees
Three pin-tailed sandgrouse drink at a water hole on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees
Dawn breaks on the reed beds at gallocanta with the hide on stilts a silhoutte against the sky on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees
A short eared owl is startled and flies over us at gallocanta on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees

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

Trip Overview

Holiday Price
€1395 per person

“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

Itinerary

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.
An adult and juvenile bearded vulture tussle for food in front of the hides in snow on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees
An adult and juvenile bearded vulture at the hides

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.
A wallcreepr spotted on the rockface on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees
A wallcreeper close to Albella

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 venture further afield to a steppe landscape.
Common cranes on the lake shore at the gallocanta lagoon on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees
Common cranes on the lake shore at Gallocanta
Common cranes take to the air as dawn breaks
Dawn breaks at the lake side

DAY 7: Gallocanta lakeside

  • Our final morning at Gallocanta.
  • A second opportunity to witness the spectacle of the cranes at dawn.
  • After breakfast there is time for you to explore the lake shore on your own.
  • We rendez-vous for a picnic lunch after which we make the short trip to Zaragoza for onward connections.
A Great bustard stands in a filed on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees
A great bustard walks to join the flock on the lake shore

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Accommodation

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.

“The rooms have been sympathetically renovated, retaining beautiful original features whilst providing a sophisticated en suite bathroom. I could enjoy beautiful views across the valley, gaze at the starlit sky and listen to the natural nightlife. Just fantastic in itself.”

Louise. Lewes. Oct 2017.

View The Farmhouse

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.

“And the food! Our meals were superlative and our picnic lunches were every bit as wonderful. Our stay at Casa Allué was definitely a highlight of our trip to Spain.”

Deborah & Art. Maryland USA. May 2017

Getting Here

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.

Transfers

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  Renfe train logo on How to get to Albella 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.

Reviews

Just Some of Our Reviews on this Holiday…

“Having enjoyed two excellent holidays with Simon & Lucy in the past two years during May and June with my Wife,
I took my good friend Keith on a February birding break. We were met at Zaragoza Airport by Simon and driven North,
along with 4 other guests. The scenery as you approach the foothills of the Pyrenees is superb but on this
occasion, not much snow, just blue skies.Unusual for the time of year.
This short break’s first highlight was to drive into the mountains and spend time in a hide observing the magnificent
Lammergeiers and numerous Griffon Vultures. This was as terrific experience and whilst I am a very amateur photographer
I managed to take some very good pictures.
There was free time to walk in the peaceful and beautiful surrounding countryside at Albella with bonus sightings of
Roe Deer and uncommon birds such as Hawfinch and Woodlark. We spent a day walking with a guide looking for the
elusive Wallcreeper. No joy but it was seen the following day.
The second major part of the visit involved a drive south beyond Zaragoza, to a lake where around 30,000 Cranes were
spending the Winter. The sight and sounds of these birds was a spectacular experience. There were many other
bird species to be seen, the best of which, for me, were the Short Eared Owls and the Great Bustard.
I have great admiration for the way Simon and Lucy have developed their holiday accommodation, with excellent
food and hospitality along with their delightful daughters Penny and Sofi.
If you enjoy nature then i highly recommend this and indeed any other holiday Aragon Active have to offer.”

Ed. Royston. UK. Birds of Northern Spain Holiday February 2020

A short eared owl passes over our heads on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees

“I stayed here on a group bird watching trip and had a fantastic time. The scenery is amazing. An absolute highlight was watching huge numbers of Griffon vultures from the mountain hides. They were spectacular, a memory I’ll treasure. We saw beautiful Lammergeiers too, and skies filled with Grey Cranes flying over us, calling to each other, and we even saw Great Bustards. We stayed in two locations and in both the home-cooked food was excellent. As a vegetarian I’m used to making do with what is available when on holiday, but here the food was something I looked forward to every day!
Simon and Lucy are full of knowledge about the local area, which they clearly care deeply for. They are lovely hosts and eager to make sure everyone has a good time. If you like mountains, good food and big birds then this is the place for you!”

Ellen. Nottingham. UK. Birds of Northern Spain Holiday February 2020

An adult bearded vulture on the ground in front of the hides with the red ring around the eye clearly visible on our Birds of Northern Spain trip in the Spanish Pyrenees

Read more of the 150+ independent reviews we have on TripAdvisor

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