What you will find in Las Buitreras
- Colony of griffon vultures
- Cliff birds: Blue Rock-Trush etc.
- Guadiaro river banks
Gaucín
Winter / Spring
1/2 day of activity
Private groups
Ornithological tour of the Guadiaro River
With a wingspan between 235 and 285 cm, griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) appear grandiose in the sky, second only to black vultures in Europe, and scarcely smaller than albatrosses, condors, pelicans or marabous. Spain hosts the largest populations of griffon vultures in the world. Visiting Las Buitreras allows you to get close enough to the colony to enjoy a true ornithological spectacle.
Natural Life in La Serranía
Vultures fly over the rugged terrain of the Serranía de Ronda incessantly. They play an important role in the recycling of the carcasses of large wild and domestic mammals. Today, they are a sign of identity of the rural world in Andalusia.
Hiking route
A pleasant walk (3 km) along the Guadiaro river allows you to enjoy beautiful landscapes and Mediterranean vegetation. Oropendolas, buntings and marsh grassland passerines abound on the riverbank and sing with great vigor in the spring.
Avifauna of the cliffs
A final steep slope (80 meters) allows access to the observation point of the colony without disturbing the birds. It offers ideal conditions for photographing vultures in their nests, and other species, solitary rock thrushes and various swifts.
Dragonflies of the Guadiaro river
A deep spring brings the river back to life with clean water after the canyon. We are before one of the best preserved river sections in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, with a rich dragonfly fauna, including rare and protected species such as Macromia splendens.
Birds at Las Buitreras de Gaucín
Private Tour Griffon vultures: Las Buitreras Canyon (Gaucín)
Tour variants and options
This half-day excursion combines with other points of ornithological interest to expand the list of species, in particular the Sierra del Hacho (Gaucín), Sierra Crestellina (Casares), the Junta de los Ríos and the Desembocadura del Manilva (Sabinillas).
The Serranía de Ronda long distance trail crosses this wild and quiet area in the direction of the Cortés Station upstream.
Additional information
Birding Gaucín / Birdwatching in Gaucín
If you are interested in bird watching in Andalusia, the picturesque white village of Gaucin is the ideal place to visit. Throughout the year, griffon vultures fill the sky and breed in three important colonies nearby.
The sunny and mild winter is a very pleasant season for touring the countryside in southern Andalusia and a popular time of year for birdwatchers.
Interesting sedentary birds inhabit the scrublands of the Sierra del Hacho (Blackcap, Cirl Bunting and Iberian Shrike) and the crags of Gaucín Castle (Blue Rock-Thrush, Crag martinandRock Bunting).
Mixed forests attract birds in large numbers, the endemic Iberian Woodpecker and more passerines: Great Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch and Common Firecrest in oak forests, Common Crossbill or Coal Tit in pine forests. Among the summer visitors, some raptors inhabit the Mediterranean forests such as the
More birds await avid birdwatchers: in the farmlands and open fields, stonechats, hoopoes, wheatears and ravens; in the remarkable Guadiaro and Genal rivers, high densities of kingfishers and grey wagtails.
Of course, Gaucin is located near the migratory bottleneck of the Strait of Gibraltar and is a good place to witness countless migratory birds twice a year, in spring and autumn. Large gliding birds are most noticeable in the sky with large numbers of White Stork and Black Kite.
The village is a perfect base camp for birding in nearby areas of the Serrania de Ronda and the Strait of Gibraltar, with up to six birding hotspots within a half-hour drive, adding coastal wetlands and marine wildlife to our list of species.
Local experts from G3 Guides can accompany you on a birding tour and show you our diverse habitats and bird populations.
The “plus”. The orientation and geology of the canyon favor a micro thermal climate, very pleasant in winter and early spring. Orchids and other Mediterranean flowers abound along the trail.
Includes
- Specialized professional guide
- High-end telescopes
- High-end binoculars
- List of potential species
- Door-to-door passenger pickup/destination
- Accident insurance
