Eco-friendly ways to get outdoors in Spain’s nature

Wildlife watching

From brown bears to rare birds and whales to dolphins and deer, there’s no shortage of places to see wildlife of all kinds in their natural habitats...

Monfragüe National Park, Extremadura

Just over an hour and a half’s drive south of Salamanca and an hour north of Cáceres, Extremadura’s Monfragüe National Park is one of Europe’s top birdwatching destinations. Amidst dramatic canyons, jagged cliffs and rivers, this UNESCO listed biosphere reserve is also a designated Special Protection Area for Birds and home to one of the largest colonies of black vultures in the world. Other species include griffon, cinereous and Egyptian vultures, imperial and short-toed eagles, black storks and eagle owls. Elsewhere in the Park, look out for bellowing stags, red, roe and fallow deer, wild boars, badgers, polecats and otters.

Somiedo, Asturias

Although you might not necessarily associate Spain with bears, the Somiedo Nature Reserve, a little under 100km northwest of León, in the heart of the Cantabrian mountains, is home to one of Europe’s largest populations of free-roaming brown grizzlies. In spring and late summer, you can often spot them making their way through the Park’s landscape of beech forested valleys, limestone peaks and glacial lakes. Elsewhere in this UNESCO designated Biosphere, you’ll also find twenty amphibian and reptile species, including golden, chamois and booted eagles, as well as wolves, grouse and otters.

Doñana National Park, Andalusia

Sprawling across the Andalusian provinces of Seville, Huelva and Cádiz, Doñana National Park is one of Europe’s most striking and important wetlands. Home to over 200 different types of birds, including the famously photogenic flocks of flamingos and many of Spain’s rarest species, this sprawling UNESCO-listed Heritage site has everything from sand dunes and marshes to cliffs, lagoons, pine forests, as well as some 30km of pristine white, sandy beaches. Visit in spring to see the Park’s famous pink residents congregating alongside Eurasian spoonbills and purple herons. Elsewhere, keep an eye out for colonies of otters and the rarely spotted, endangered Iberian lynx.

Cabañeros National Park, Castilla La Mancha

Sometimes nicknamed the Spanish Serengeti, this vast National Park, just over an hour’s drive southwest of Toledo in the Montes de Toledo mountain range, is home to a wide range of species. Amidst its mountain massif carpeted in forest and scrubland, you’ll find not only a wide variety of deer from red and black to roe and fallow. but also Golden, Iberian and Bonelli’s eagles, black and griffon vultures and black storks. Elsewhere, cattle graze peacefully in the Park’s lowland pastures. Explore the park on one of its 16 walking trails or you take a tour on horseback or bicycle.

Tenerife

The warm, unusually deep, waters between Tenerife’s south coast and the island of La Gomera play host to one of the world’s most important colonies of whales and dolphins. To visit this designated ‘whale heritage site’, a wide range of boat companies offer tours on everything from catamarans with panoramic underwater viewing windows to pirate-ship style schooners, all of whom are signed up to the Whale Watching Charter for Sustainability. Look out for different species including Pilot and Bryde’s whales, bottlenose and spotted dolphins, swimming around in freedom amidst their natural habitat.

Hiking

With its vastly varied landscapes, when it comes to walking, Spain has something for everyone, from mountain climbs to coastal paths and woodland trails.

Sierra de Aracena, Andalucía

Hidden away in the north-western reaches of Andalucía, not far from the borders with Portugal and Extremadura, the Sierra de Aracena is one of the region’s least known but loveliest corners. With green hills and tranquil rivers, gentle streams and ancient forests filled with cork, chestnut and holm oaks, the Park has walking trails for every level. With the routes often following century-old donkey trails, choose from a laid-back 8km to a day-long 19km hike, leading you through hills crowned with castles and some of Andalucía’s prettiest whitewashed villages.

Picos de Europa National Park

Named after its vertical limestone summits, the Picos de Europa (Peaks of Europe) National Park has some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in Spain. Teeming with oak and beech groves sprawling across no less than three provinces: Asturias, Cantabria and León, there are walking routes for everything from a casual stroll to a hardcore hike. The Park is also home to one of the most extraordinary routes in Europe – the 12km long Cares Trail. Zigzagging its way across plunging ravines and walkways, the route edges its way from one jagged rockface to the next, offering exceptional views to the Cares River below and the soaring mountains above.

Camino de Ronda, Costa Brava, Catalonia

Hugging the Costa Brava’s pine-laden, coral-toned cliffs and stretching along some 200km of coast from Blanes, just north of Barcelona to Portbou near the French border, this sinuous path features the kind of exceptional sea views that are crying out to be photographed. Originally built as a look-out route for the Guardia Civil in the 19^th and early 20^th century, the route winds its way past furtive smugglers’ coves and broad swathes of sandy beach, as well as lighthouses, neo-classical mansions, botanical gardens and Michelin-starred restaurants. Sample it at your leisure in stretches lasting anything from 30 minutes to a fortnight.

Sierra de Gredos Regional Reserve, Castilla León

Only two and a half hours’ drive west of Madrid, this exceptional nature reserve is home to soaring crags and granite peaks, green plains, lush fruit orchards, glacial lakes and dramatic gorges. There’s a choice of routes too. A leisurely stroll will take you through river valleys and meadows filled with heather, yellow-flowering broom and grassland. Elsewhere mountain paths lead past plunging waterfalls as you approach the cirque – the amphitheatre-like valley, dominated by the imposing, almost 3,000 metre high Almanzor peak ,the highest point in the Sistema Central mountain range. Bird watchers can also spot griffon vultures, red kites, buzzards and woodpeckers

Atlantic Islands of Galicia Maritime-Terrestrial National Park

Whilst Spain’s eastern and southern coasts – from the Costa Brava and Costa Blanca to Andalucía’s Costa de la Luz, tend to grab the column inches, it’s often forgotten that way over in Spain’s north-east, Galicia’s coastline is often equally impressive. Set in the heart of the Rias Baixas – a series of four estuary inlets straddling the provinces of A Coruña and Pontevedra, one of the highlights of this lesser-known National Park is the Cies archipelago – a string of beaches so gorgeous they’ve been nicknamed the ‘Galician Caribbean’. The well-marked routes are easily accessible and relatively undemanding.

Vineyard walks

For several years now, Spain has led the way in sustainability wine-growing, boasting one of the largest land areas planted to organic vineyards in Europe. It’s a philosophy which you’ll find across the country and although La Rioja may be the country’s most famous wine region, oenophiles have long known that many other parts of Spain produce equally exceptional wines.

The lush Empordà on the Costa Brava, bordered by the Mediterranean to the east and the Pyrenees to the north is one of Spain’s most scenic wine-producing regions, with a cluster of over 30 wineries. At Eccocivi, a relatively new winery with Zerio CO2 certification, just half an hour’s drive east of Girona, you can tour the winery and wander amidst the vineyards surrounded by pine cork and holm oak forests.

At the small wine-making area of Bakio near Bilbao meanwhile, the sustainable Doniene Gorrondona Txakolina winery, also offers tours of both the bodega itself and the vineyards.

It’s not just Spain’s north either where wines take centre stage. In central Spain, the village of Santa Maria la Real de Niva, just 30km from Segovia, is home to Bodega Blanco Nieve where you can stroll your way through 100-year old vines, whilst in Andalucia, you’ll also find bodegas aplenty.

Kayaking

Whether you’re out at sea or on rivers and reservoirs, kayaking offers the chance to see Spain in ways you would never get the chance on dry land.

Cabo de Gata National Park, Almeria

With volcanic cliffs looming high above the crystalline teal sea, Andalucía’s blissfully unspoilt Cabo de Gata headland – a UNESCO protected biosphere reserve, is one of its most dramatic landscapes and a kayak trip is one of the best ways to see it. Choose from a range of guided trips where you can not only look back to shore but see underwater meadows brimming with sea-life. Look out for the Sirenas reef with its vertical rocks jutting out of the sea, as well as remote coves, sea caves, castles and coastal villages.

Noja, Cantabria

Named as one of the world’s ‘100 Most Sustainable Destinations’, the small town of Noja, half an hour’s drive east along the Cantabrian coast from Santander, is famous for its twin sandy beaches – Ris, and the wonderfully wild Tregandín. Both feature vast swathes of soft, golden sand whilst Ris is also the starting point for superb kayaking trips. Half day guided tours take in the dramatic Noja cliffs, Romanesque bridges and bird-filled wetlands and marshes, as well as the Reserva Natural de las Marismas de Santoña y Noja – a bird conservation area. While you’re there, explore Noja’s 17^th century architecture and sample the local speciality – nécora, or velvet crab.

Embalse del Burguillo Reservoir, Castilla Leon

Just over 100 km west of Madrid, the beaches along the vast Embalse del Burguillo - Spain’s oldest reservoir, are perfect for kayak launches. With the Sierra de Gredos mountains forming a dramatic backdrop to the west, the calm waters are surrounded by chestnut forests, woodland and wildlife. The nearby Valle de Iruelas Natural Park is a specially protected bird-watching area, renowned for its colony of black vultures. Look out for the walled island in the middle of the reservoir, complete with vineyards, fruit tress and a pine forest.

Mijares River, Montanejos, Valencia

If you like your kayaking trips to come with more than a dash of adrenaline rush, look no further than the rapids along the Mijares River, about an hour and a half’s drive northwest of Valencia. Just outside the small town of Montanejos, kayak trips kick off with a whitewater descent along the upper stretches of the Mijares river with its Class II (ie relatively straightforward) rapids, suitable for novice kayakers. Along the way, there’s the chance to take a break along the rocks and riverbanks before half day trips finish off at the tail-end of the Arenoso reservoir.

Es Grau, S’Albufera des Grau Natural Park, Menorca

Taking in some of Menorca’s most superbly unspoilt beaches, as well as coves, caves, pine woods and a lighthouse, this two and a half hour trip is a wonderful way to see part of the island. Starting off in the tranquil bay at Es Grau in Menorca’s northeast, less than 10km north of Mahón, and passing many of the island’s loveliest beaches, there’s also a chance to swim around the Isla den Colom island before heading back towards the setting sun for the journey’s end in the small village of Na Macaret.

Paragliding

For an unparalleled, bird’s eye view of Spain’s exceptional landscape, there’s nothing quite like seeing it from the air, and paragliding is one of the best ways to do so. Using nothing but the wind for power and leaving only your human footprints on the ground, it’s also supremely sustainable and whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, you’ll find paragliding centres across the country.

Andalucía is Spain’s paragliding capital with the small town of Algodonales in the province of Cádiz’s Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, its mecca. With numerous paragliding centres and schools clustered around the town, the year-round winds make this one of the most popular centres in Europe. Whether you want to glide over the coast and the Atlantic beaches of Tarifa or soar like an eagle over the limestone cliffs and gorges of Grazalema or the snow-covered peaks of the Sierra Nevada, there are plenty of options.

There are numerous centres elsewhere in Spain, including La Muela in Murcia where you can cover three nature reserves some 500 metres above sea level, whilst Tenerife’s Teide National Park offers Spain’s highest take-off point at 2,000 metres high, leading you over the thrilling gorge at La Orotava.

Biking

From lush valleys and majestic forests to craggy cliffs and spectacular coastal climbs, Spain has some of the most varied and scenic cycling routes in Europe.

Via de la Plata, Seville to Gijón

Although much lesser known than the Camino de Santiago, the 800km Via de la Plata (named not after the Spanish for silver, but from the Arabic al-balat - meaning paved), is at least as old and equally impressive. Following the ancient Roman road that originally connected Spain’s north and south, it stretches from Seville in the south to Gijón on the northwest Cantabrian coast, taking in some 26 historic towns and cities along the way. With different stages to suit all levels, it takes in everything from monumental cathedrals, Baroque churches and UNESCO-listed heritage sites, as well as mountain ranges and national parks.

Port de Pollensa to Cap de Formentor, Mallorca

Mallorca is an exceptionally cycle-friendly island with routes for every level but this 37km route (best for intermediate to advanced cyclists) is arguably its most famous and impressive. Kicking off from Port de Pollença in the north of the island, pedal your way upwards, along hairpin bends to the Mirador del Colomer lookout. Then rest your legs as you admire the dramatic views across the coast below. Back on the road, fill your lungs with the fresh scent of pine as you wind your way through dense forests before reaching the craggy peaks and outstanding panoramic views near the Formentor lighthouse.

Cabo de Palos, Murcia

With over 3,000 hours of sunshine a year and warm breezes from the Balearic and Alborn seas, this still surprisingly under-the radar corner of south-eastern Spain is a favourite with professional cyclists. However, with its varied terrain it’s also perfect for entry level rides and anything in-between. Starting off in the small spa town of Los Alcázares, this straightforward ride takes you along the flat shores of Mar Menor – one of Europe’s largest salt-water lagoons – before a gentle climb leads up to wonderful views from the broad, rocky headland at Cabo de Palos.

Via Verde del Plazaola Greenway, Navarra

Over the last few decades, Spain’s network of Vía Verde (green way) cycle and walking routes, converted from disused railway tracks, has grown and this is one of the prettiest. Originally built to link the cities of Pamplona with San Sebastian in the Basque country, the route starts off at the old Plazaola Station in Lekunberri (now the Tourist Office) and winds its way through some 54km of lush valleys and along the beech and oak-lined banks of the Leitzaran river, before finishing up in the Basque town of Andoain. Specially adapted bikes are also available to rent, for those with mobility issues.

The Bear’s Trail, Asturias

In the world of scenic cycle routes, dramatic mountainous landscapes are often taken for granted, but there can’t be many which also include historic mining towns and a bear sanctuary. Following a disused mining railway track, this 60km, easy-to-moderate trail starts off in the village of Tuñon, about 25km south-west of Oviedo. Crossing over wooden bridges with dramatic drops and illuminated tunnels cutting through some of Asturia’s most rugged mountain ranges, you can also stop off at the bear sanctuary in Poaza where the endangered Cantabrian brown bears are protected. Finish your route at either the pre-historic Huerta Cave, or Ricabo – the trail’s twin finishing points.