Birdwatching in Galicia

Drive to the cereal fields around Xinzo de Limia, where open farmland supports crested and calandra larks, and stone-curlew. Flocks of Eurasian skylarks and corn buntings perch on hedgerows, and with patience, you may spot the elusive short-toed lark. After a picnic lunch, climb into the Sierra del Suído, where heather-clad slopes and woods host citril finches, rock buntings and the rare blue rock thrush. In the late afternoon, venture into a mature Atlantic forest or fraga, home to great spotted woodpeckers and Eurasian nuthatches. As dusk falls, listen for the haunting calls of the Eurasian eagle-owl before returning to your hotel. A packed lunch will be provided for this full day walk.

Journey to the dramatic coastline at Malpica. From here, you board a charter boat that will cruise past the rocky shores of Malpica in search of black-legged kittiwakes, Atlantic puffins (in season) and shag colonies clinging to the craggy islets. Look out for Northern gannets diving for fish, alongside cormorants and the occasional Balearic shearwater. As the ship circles the granite outcrops of the Sisargas Islands, common and sandwich terns may be seen overhead, while storm petrels occasionally dart across the bow. Your guides will share insights into the islands’ geology and the seabird breeding ecology that makes this archipelago so special. A packed lunch will be provided for this full day walk.

The tidal flats of the Desembocadura do Miño, Galicia’s largest river mouth, are home to wintering wigeon, pintail and barnacle geese. From the estuary, ascend to the hillfort of Santa Tegra, where rocky slopes offer vantage points for observing raptor species such as common buzzard, peregrine falcon and, hopefully, osprey patrolling the river below. Admire ocean vistas along the coastal road before heading inland to the valley of the Río Tea. This wooded riparian corridor is prime habitat for forest species such as firecrest, Iberian chiffchaff and the wood warbler. Adjacent farmland supports tree pipits and skylarks. Strategic hides and viewpoints offer opportunities to view and photograph a cross-section of Galicia’s estuarine, coastal and forest birds. A packed lunch will be provided for this full day walk.

Enjoy a relaxing boat journey upriver, skirting reed-lined banks and mud channels, as you head towards the sheltered waters of Arousa Island, at the heart of the estuary. Along the way, you may sight grey herons, little egrets and the elegant Eurasian kingfisher perched above the water. In the shallow lagoons, scan for common shelduck and flocks of wigeon, while reed beds harbour Cetti’s warblers and bearded tits. As you sip a refreshment and observe lapwings overhead, your guide will recount stories of the Ría de Arousa’s importance for wintering and migratory waterfowl.