Lady Orchid Orchis purpurea © Teresa Farino

The Palencian Páramos

Off the beaten track on the Castilian limestone plateaux

The high limestone plateaux of northern Castile comprise a fabulous mosaic of arid pseudosteppes, occupied by stunted Mediterranean forest and low-intensity cereal cultivations teeming with colourful arable weeds, precipitous river gorges harbouring dense gallery forests, and sheer bluffs populated by large colonies of cliff-breeding birds.

Provence Orange Tip
Anthocharis euphenoides © Teresa Farino

From our base in the charmingly restored convent of Santa María de Mave, complete with its own Romanesque church, we are ideally located to venture out into the surrounding tablelands, including visits to the renowned limestone 'sculpture city' of Las Tuerces, the spectacular canyon carved out by the infant Ebro, and the high plateau of the Páramo de La Lora, sometimes referred to as the 'Spanish Burren'.

The Páramo de la Lora is a windswept tableland which, at first sight, looks fairly unpromising. The plants are fabulous, however, with highlights including clumps of the scarlet-flowered Paeonia officinalis ssp. microcarpa, common grape hyacinth, blue aphyllanthes, wild tulip, Pyrenean snakeshead, angel's tears, hoop-petticoat daffodil and sheets of orchids, among them lady, Barton's, Provence and dense-flowered, plus early spider and yellow ophrys. Birds of the plateau include both hen and Montagu's harriers, hoopoe, rock thrush, woodlark, tawny pipit, subalpine warbler, southern grey shrike and rock sparrow. We must also look out for Spring Ringlet, as La Lora hosts an isolated colony of this rare butterfly, as well as other early-flying species such as swallowtail, Moroccan orange-tip and Cleopatra.

The canyon carved out by the infant Ebro is simply spectacular, and we aim to stroll through the depths, with the sheer buttresses rising on either side populated by a huge colony of griffon vultures plus lesser numbers of Egyptian vulture, golden and Bonelli's eagles, peregrine, eagle owl and both choughs. Among the plants on offer here are Griffon Vultures Gyps fulvus © Teresa Farino purple toothwort, blue Aphyllanthes, violet limodore and military orchid, with the cliffs themselves festooned with blue-leaved petrocoptis, sarcocapnos and the Iberian endemic saxifrage Saxifraga cuneata. The dense gallery forest hosts wryneck, nightingale, Iberian chiffchaff, Cetti's warbler and golden oriole, while butterflies such as scarce swallowtail, Duke of Burgundy fritillary and Spanish festoon are typical of more open areas at this time of year.

Other habitats that we might explore during the week include the subalpine acid pastures of Alto Campóo, where we can hope for water pipit, alpine accentor and alpine chough, plus spring gentians, the diminutive Narcissus asturiensis and dog's-tooth violet, as well as the pass of Piedrasluengas, where limestone outcrops are studded with Anemone pavoniana, Draba dedeana and Globularia repens, wet meadows are coloured by early marsh orchids and wild daffodils, and we might also catch a glimpse of isard (Pyrenean chamois). We might also take in the Aguilar reservoir, and the 'white stork city' of Barrio de Santa María where, in 2007, some nests held as many as five youngsters.

For more information about the localities we will visit during this tour, you might like to refer to Traveller's Nature Guide: Spain, by Teresa Farino and Mike Lockwood (2004).

Angel's Tears Narcissus triandrus © Teresa Farino

Prices: £750, including half-board, en suite accommodation at El Convento Santa María de Mave, near Aguilar de Campóo, picnic lunches, minibus/4WD transport throughout, all entry fees and the services of Teresa Farino as leader. A single-room supplement of £100 is applicable.

This is a land-based tour. Flights and travel insurance (obligatory) are the responsibility of the client.

Pick-up details: Flight schedules for the low-cost airlines have not yet been posted for next spring, but Teresa will be meeting one of the following: the easyJet flight from London Stansted to Bilbao, or the Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Santander, depending on prices and times. Further details will be posted here once available.

Alternatively, those travelling to the area independently can arrange to meet the group at the hotel on the first evening.

Group size: maximum 8 persons.

Booking information: please contact Teresa Farino for further details and a booking form, or if you have any queries about this tour.

E-mail:	teresa@iberianwildlife.com
Office phone:	(+34) 942 735154
Mobile phone:	(+34) 656 337129
Address:	Apartado de Correos 59 39570 Potes Cantabria Spain