Description

Join us for a brand new butterfly tour to the Sierra Nevada mountains in Southern Spain this summer!

We’re very happy to be able to invite you to join us on this exciting & exclusive new summer adventure to the Sierra Nevada in Southern Spain, to look for some special local butterfly species during our visits to a wide range of habitats and locations in the area.

Sierra Nevada is the highest mountain range in the whole of Iberia, with its highest mountain Mulhacén peak a lofty 3,482m above sea level. We will spend most of our time exploring within Sierra Nevada National Park (Parque nacional de Sierra Nevada) which is within the provinces of Granada and Almería in Andalusia. We will be going to locations between sea level and about 2,700m.

Our visit has been timed to find some of the area’s most interesting and endemic butterflies. These include Nevada Blue Plebicula golgus, Apollo Parnassius apollo nevadensis, Andalucian Anomalous Blue Polyommatus violetae, Nevada Grayling Pseudochazara Hippolyte, Zullichi’s Blue Agriades zullichi, and Spanish Brassy Ringlet Erebia Hispania.

We will of course encounter many more species during our daily excursions, such as Desert Orange Tip, Common Tiger Blue, African Grass Blue, Cardinal, Purple-shot Copper, Spanish Purple Hairstreak, Iberian Marbled White, Spanish Argus, and lots more! On our coastal trips, depending on where we go, we may also be fortunate to find star species like the stunning and large Monarch.

As always, we will be taking a keen interest in the flora or other wildlife along the way. The Sierra Nevada has a wealth of floristic diversity (more than 2,000 vascular plants) and a high degree of endemism (especially on the high ground). We should enjoy an interesting sample of these, including endemics, such as the pretty alpine plant pinguicula nevadensis and sempervivum minutum.

We shall also look up at times, to enjoy some birds, such as Iberian Grey Shrike, Golden Oriole, Northern Wheatear & Red-billed Chough. During our days in the mountains we will probably come across Iberian Ibex and no matter where we are we will look out for interesting wildlife, both big and small.

Our tours are generally all at a relaxed pace and this one will be no different. The walking will be fairly easy and without steep ascents, but at times it will be rocky terrain and guests should be moderately fit and able and happy to be out hiking in summer temperatures, which can be about 35 ºC.

Book your places soon on what we expect to be a very popular tour!