Rising to the south of the magnificentMoorish city of Granada are thesnow-clad Sierra Nevada mountains.Their rugged southern foothills - abackwater of beautiful valleys and steephillsides - are known as the Alpujarras. Inspring, these hills are bedecked withblossoming almond and peach orchardsand a wealth of colourful wild flowers,while in summer butterflies, alpine flowersand the scent of wild Mediterranean herbsabound. Once the last stronghold of theMoors, the Alpujarran landscape still bearswitness to Moorish rule. As well as Walnutand Sweet Chestnut groves, Mulberry treesdot the hillsides giving a lingering clue tothe silk trade which flourished here duringmedieval times, and whitewashed Moorish-style villages and ubiquitous ancientirrigation systems and pathways remain,exquisitely engineered in stone. TheAlpujarra is rural Spain at its best:dramatic, peaceful, rustic and charming,its south-facing slopes perennially bathedin sun - a paradise for the walker andnaturalist! As we ascend towards our basein Mairena, the scenery becomesprogressively more dramatic. The roadnarrows and winds ever upwards,punctuated by picturesque white villagesclinging to the mountainsides, craggypeaks still snow-capped in spring, and lay-bys and meadows which by June areladen with myriad wild flowers andbutterflies!The Alpujarra is one of Spain's top walkingdestinations. Numerous short routes traverse the valleys and slopes and arange of more demanding trails lead upinto the Sierra Nevada National Park. InApril temperatures are comfortable andthis is a good time to tackle some of themore interesting walking routes, admiringas we go the mountainsides awash withthe colourful blossoms of broom, peach,almond and emerging spring flowers.Some 2,100 plant species (30% of therepresentative species of the IberianPeninsula) are found here, of which about 150 are endemic to the SierraNevada and surrounding area. Cytisusoromediterraneus(Padded Brushwood),Ulex parviflora(Small-flowered Gorse),Berberis hispanica(Spanish Barberry) andAdenocarpus decorticansall grow in andaround the oak forests, while at altitudesabove about 2,000 metres broom scrubreplaces the forests and covers the wideschist slopes to about 2,900 metres. Theendemic Lavandula lanata(WoollyLavender), Ranunculus acetosellifoliusandViola nevadensis(Sierra Nevada Violet), aswell as a diverse range of orchids, areamong the region's many interestingflowers that we'll be looking for. Also inApril, the first butterflies of the year shouldbe emerging, and such avian migrants asHoopoes, Golden Orioles, Bee-eaters,Nightingales and a variety of warblers willbe arriving for the summer. The scenery of the Alpujarra is superb,though most of the trails that we useinvolve some easy to moderate climbingalong ancient rocky trails as we ascendthe hillsides. We'll walk at a comfortablepace, passing natural springs andstumbling across mountain streams, as wefollow paths where we may well find suchinteresting plants as Paeonia coriacea,Polygala boissieri, Orchis olbiensisand Astragalus sempervirens ssp.nevadensis.By scanning the mountainsides above us,we will also hope to see herds of SpanishIbex, a speciality whose stronghold is herein the Sierra Nevada. Dippers may be seenon the mountain streams, and other birdspecies typical of the region include CragMartin, Black Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush,Rock Bunting and Serin. In June, our pace will be slower and ourwalks less ambitious as the heat of thesummer sun and the numerous butterflies,flowers and other wildlife slow us down inthe mountains. The Alpujarra is not knownfor its birds, but a passing Golden Eagle,or perhaps Griffon Vulture or Bonelli'sEagle, will merit an occasional glanceskywards, and warm nights will bepunctuated with the relentless 'hooting' ofthe diminutive Scops Owl. The old-fashioned farming methods practised onthese steep slopes ensure a great diversityand profusion of wild flowers which, inturn, attract a wealth of butterfly species.The altitudinal range that we may accesson this tour (from 1,000 to 2,900 metres),either on foot or by minibus, will reward uswith a wide range of butterflies. These mayinclude the alpine Apollo, MoroccanOrange-tip, Swallowtail, Scarce andSouthern Swallowtail; such Blues as Long-tailed, Short-tailed and Mazarine; Heath,Meadow, Queen of Spain and GlanvilleFritillaries, and Grizzled, Mallow, Red-underwing and other Skippers.Our holiday will not be complete, however,without a visit to the historic city ofGranada and the stunning AlhambraPalace, just a 30-minute drive away . aheady cultural experience to complementthe natural delights to be found on theMoorish trails of the Alpujarras.125Outline itineraryDay 1Fly Almeria; transferMairena.Day 2/7A programme of wildlifewalks and excursions inthe Alpujarras, fromMairena (including aday-trip to Granada andthe Alhambra).Day 8Fly UK.AccommodationAn exceptional, family-runAlpujarran guesthouse; all roomswith private facilities.Food and wineAll included in the price.GradingGrade B (April). Our day-walks inthe mountains will tackle somesteeper ground.Grade A (June). Mountain walks, butat a slower pace, with greater use ofminibuses to access key sites.FocusWalking and general natural historyin April; walking, butterflies, flowersand other wildlife in June.LeaderByron Palacios, Jorge Garzón orPaul Harmes.Single room supplement£150.Web quick search: ESP21FRANCE PORTUGAL SEVILLEGRANADACADIZ MADRIDATLANTIC OCEAN MEDITERRANEANSEASPAINSIERRA NEVADAMAIRENAALMERIABook direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationSpain - The Alpujarras & Alhambra An 8-day holiday of natural history walks in the rugged Alpujarra mountains, the southernfoothills of the Sierra Nevada, including a day exploring Granada and the Alhambra Palace.Saturday 28th April - Saturday 5th May Cost: £1,295Wednesday 6th June - Wednesday 13th June Cost: £1,295Spring flowers, AlpujarrasSpanish MarbledWhiteThe Alhambra Palace, Granada

This tour combines the contrastinghabitats of central Spain - theundulating, sun-drenched steppesand shimmering plains of Extremadura, therugged oak-forested hills of MonfragüeNational Park, and the imposing granitepeaks of the Sierra de Gredos. We willexplore these exciting and wild habitatsduring the course of a 2-centre, week-longholiday focusing particularly on the birdlifeof the region, but also enjoying theabundant and colourful wayside flora ofboth the plains and mountains, as well asany butterflies and mammals we encounterduring the week. We begin the holiday with a flight toMadrid, from where we head south-westthrough rolling hills, olive groves and CorkOak woodland to the central plateau ofExtremadura, where we find extensivesheep-grazed grasslands and Cork Oakforests known locally as dehasa. For thenext four nights we will be based near thebeautiful medieval town of Trujillo, an idealspot from which to explore the adjacentsteppes and the magnificent MonfragüeNational Park. Flocks of Lesser Kestrelsand Pallid Swifts wheel around Trujillo'sbeautifully preserved ancient churches,whilst White Storks peer down from theirroof-top nests or clatter their bills to greeta returning mate. One of our main goals,however, will be to witness one of the mostexciting bird spectacles in Europe, thebreeding display of the Great Bustard.During this, the males - the world'sheaviest flying birds - convertthemselves, by a series of bizarredistortions, into huge white balls offeathers that revolve slowly in an almostmilitary step. While they look stately anddignified, the nearby Little Bustardsperform an awkward, head-throwing actionaccompanied by a comical buzzing sound.The two species are certainly the starattractions of this region, but it offers farmore besides, including many othergrassland specialities such as Quail, StoneCurlew, Pin-tailed and Black-belliedSandgrouse, and both Calandra and Short-toed Larks, whilst Bee-eaters, Rollers andHoopoes bring colour to the scene. In thesurrounding Cork Oak dehasawe will lookfor Great Spotted Cuckoos, Hoopoes,Orphean Warblers, Short-toedTreecreepers, both Woodchat andSouthern Grey Shrikes and Azure-wingedMagpies. Overhead we will keep an eyeopen for the 16 species of raptor which,with luck, may include the localised Black-shouldered Kite. It is in Monfragüe NationalPark, however, that we will focus inparticular on birds of prey; here Egyptian,Black and Griffon Vultures rise on thethermals with the heat of the day, both Redand Black Kites are numerous, andGolden, Spanish Imperial, Bonelli's,Booted and Short-toed Eagle all breed.Amongst other specialities are Black Storkand Eagle Owl, whilst the smaller andmore abundant occupants of the hillsinclude Alpine Swift, Thekla Lark, CragMartin, Red-rumped Swallow, BlackWheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, SubalpineWarbler and Chough.To the north-east of Extremadura andMonfragüe lies the Sierra de Gredos. Thisis a rugged and imposing range of granitemountains that rises to 2,600 metres and isa stronghold of the magnificent SpanishIbex, a species that we will make a specialeffort to see during our stay. We will spendthe second part of our holiday here, basedin a very comfortable, boutique-style hotelthat boasts a fine view towards themountains and serves some of the finestfood in the province. This will ensure thatwe are in good shape for our walks in thesurrounding hills, forests and mountains! In the valley below our hotel we will searchthe pine forests for Honey Buzzard,Goshawk, Western Bonelli's Warbler,Firecrest, Pied Flycatcher, Crested Tit, andperhaps even Citril Finch and Crossbill.Higher up, above the tree-line, we willsearch for breeding Crag Martins, Dippers,Bluethroats, Rock and Ortolan Buntings,whilst higher still we will look for WaterPipits, Alpine Accentors, Black Redstartsand Rock Thrushes. Birds of prey are notnumerous here, but amongst the speciesthat do pass overhead from time to timeare both Black and Griffon Vultures,Golden Eagle and Booted Eagle. Thedominant plant of the mountains is theyellow-flowered broom, but along therivers, streams, roads and tracks of theGredos - and in the ancient stone-walledhay meadows and grazing pastures - wewill find a colourful flora that includes manyorchid species. Indeed, by spending mostof our time on this part of the holidayexploring on foot, by means of mountainwalks, we can hope to see a wide range ofwildlife including an excellent flora andattendant butterfly and insect-life.Outline itineraryDay 1Fly Madrid and transferto Trujillo.Day 2/4Monfragüe/Trujillo.Day 5/7Gredos Mountains.Day 8Fly Madrid to London.Accommodation A lovingly converted stately homedeep in the heart of Extremaduraand a superb family-run hotel in theGredos with an award-winningrestaurant. Exceptionalaccommodation and cuisine, plusen suite facilities, at both locations. Food and wineAll included in the price.GradingGrade A/B. Easy/moderate daywalks, though there will be sometougher options in the Gredos forthose requiring them! Focus Primarily birds, but also plants,butterflies and mammals.LeadersLee Morgan (ornithologist) and Andrew Cleave (botanist).Single room supplement£195.ExtensionsExtra nights in Madrid available onrequest.Web quick search: ESP06FRANCEPORTUGALTRUJILLOGREDOS MOUNTAINSSEVILLEGUADALQUIVIRRIVERMADRIDATLANTICOCEANMEDITERRANEAN SEASPAIN126Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItinerarySpain - Extremadura &Gredos MountainsAn 8-day holiday in search of the birds, and other natural history, in the steppes and plains ofExtremadura and the mountain habitats in the Sierra de Gredos.Tuesday 1st May - Tuesday 8th May Cost: £1,395 ExtremaduraSpanish IbexPin-tailed Sandgrouse