Day 1
Arrival at Cordovilla de Aguilar. Dinner and then a talk to welcome guests and inform them of their accommodation.
Day 2
After breakfast we leave the resort at 8h (this time is subject to change according to the time of year when the tours are held). The excursion lasts all day with a picnic at lunch-time.
We will be taken in an S.U.V. to vehicle-restricted areas within the natural park with our expert guides, Tino and Laura. Once we reach the heart of the bear’s territory, we will begin the safari along the eastern foothills of the Cantabrian mountains. The route will take us through different habitats progressing across different stratus. The oak forests on the mountainside are accompanied by holly and rowan and provide a refuge for forest fauna such as the middle spotted woodpecker and the pine marten. The forest also provides a great amount of fruit, although rarely on consecutive years, which is as an important source of nourishment for the brown bear.
At all times we will be identifying and describing the characteristics of the different species with the help of both our accompanying naturalist and local guides. Depending on the substrate, we will go on discovering the footprints of the extraordinary community of carnivores - wolves, bobcats, foxes, pine martens and polecats, badgers, weasels, and in the depths of the forest, the great lord of the Cantabrian forest, the brown bear. The hoofed animals residing in the park – deer, roe deer, wild boar, and even micro mammals such as mice, shrews and dormice reveal the secrets of their day-to-day life. We can also interpret the diet of the great Cantabrian wildlife by observing the remains of their feasts or looking at their stools. The bear harvests the most in the mountain, taking advantage of the most abundant resource available during each season..
Day 3
Breakfast and departure at 8am. Half-day safari in which we will visit the emblematic cirque glacier of Peñalba. Our route will take us along alpine and subalpine areas to observe the high biodiversity which is found there. In these environments it is possible to see rare species unique to the high mountain such as the snowfinch.
Return to camp around 13h.
Lunch and departurea.
BEAR TOUR - Palentina Mountain - 3 days / 2 nights
Tours start on a regular basis from several cities.
You can go on your own to the meeting point of every tour.
The Palencia Mountains host a natural, wild and sparsely populated area in the northern part of Palencia, where the Cantabrian mountain range reaches its highest peaks of over 2,500m.
Situated on the austral side of these mountains, you can enjoy the blend between the Atlantic and Mediterranean ecosystems, offering a rich biodiversity sustained and propelled by their respective species. These mountains are home to rare and valuable endemic flora.
In this quiet and peaceful environment we find forests of beech trees and oak trees hundreds of years old, whose shelter provides fertile ground for yews and holly.
We see narrow valleys carved by clear rivers and streams, home to trout and more, flowing between beautiful meadows all within the deep footprint left behind by the glaciers of the ice-age.
Deer, roe deer and wild boars share these habitats with the last remaining Iberian brown bears. The Iberian wolf, plentiful in number, completes the pair of large carnivores in the Cantabrian forests.
The European bison and Prezewalski’s horse are being reintroduced into the mountains of Palencia, in an initiative that gives back to this area a hint of what was once a very impressive prehistoric fauna. In the cliff faces and summits live birds typical to high mountains like the wallcreeper, the sparrow and the dunnock.
ITINERARY
P.V.P.: 345€/pax*
*Single Extra Fee 40€/pax
OPTIONAL:
One-day extension.
Consult us for more information.
INCLUDED:
• Two night’s accommodation
• Full board beginning with dinner on the first night through to lunch on the last day
• Expert local guide
• Transport for the excursions
• Telescopes – one per vehicle
• Basic insurance
NOT INCLUDED:
• Personal expenses
• Drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) or food not mentioned in the program
• Transport to and from the camp needed on arrival and departure day
• Personal insurance policies for cancellations, repatriation etc.
Recommendations :
- Rain coat
- Moutain shoes
- Camera
- Binoculars
- ...
Upon the mountains Valdecebollas, Pamporquero and Peñalba, amongst heath, and with the best view of the park and Los Picos de Europa, we have a strategic vantage point from where we can witness the steady steps of the bear, the sprightly trot of the wolf, and mighty eagle as it soars through the air. We will also see the revered birds of the mountain, such as the alpine accentor, the ring ouzel and the bluethroat. We return for dinner and during coffee we will have the chance to share which species we were able to observe.
