Have you heard about the Big Five of Asturias?
This tour offers you the opportunity to observe Asturias’ Big Five Raptors in one single day! We will try to spot the Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus), Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), Short Toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) and the Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)!
The tour leads through the beautiful Cares River Gorge, one of the most breathtaking hikes in Asturias.
The Griffon Vulture, Golden Eagle, Egyptian Vulture and Short Toed Eagle nest in the mountains and cliffs along the river Cares. This makes them relatively easy to observe during their breeding season from March to August. The Bearded Vulture is recently reintroduced in the Picos de Europa National Park. With our experienced guide we also have a high chance of seeing this majestic raptor!
Other birds that we may encounter are Rock Bunting (Emberiza cia), Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros), Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius), Common Rock Thrush (Monticola saxatilis) and Ravens (Corvus corax).
A local licensed and experienced birding guide, fluent in both English and Spanish, is leading this tour.
The route begins in the village of Poncebos, with a climb for 2 km. The highest point is the best place to observe the raptors and offers the best view over the Cares river gorge. Here, the most beautiful part of the route begins. The rest of the path is completely flat. The whole route is fully accessible for anyone with a basic physical condition.
This tour is available from April-June (except Easter week) and in September. These are the best months to observe the raptors without the route being too crowded with other visitors.
