coto donana national park tours

The best way to visit the Doñana National Park

Classic visit.

We offer you two daily departures throughout the year. Share your best experience in Doñana.

Private visit

Enjoy privately with your family or friends. Vehicle and guide exclusively for you.

Group visit

We offer special prices for organized and agency groups. Up to 150 seats.

Visit bird watching / photography

Enjoy exclusively a tour focused on bird watching and/or photography.

Visit for schoolchildren

Ask about our visits dedicated to students. From primary school to university.

Combined visit

Complete your experience in Doñana by riding a horse or expanding your 4×4 visit.

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If you prefer, contact with us, call us at (+34) 959 44 24 74

The third eyelid of animals

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Doñana National Park Birdwatching Tours

Best birding destinations in the doñana national park and its surroundings.

  Home   »   Birdwatching in Spain   »  Doñana National Park

Our most popular activity is birdwatching day trips and holidays in Doñana National Park (also known as Coto de Doñana ) and its surroundings.

Doñana National Park , located in southwestern Spain, is the largest wetland in Western Europe , and an area with a great diversity of wildlife and landscapes.

It is of great importance for birds throughout the year, on the one hand as a place to rest and feed during their migrations but also as a vital wintering and breeding area. There is also an important population of the world’s most endangered feline, the Iberian Lynx .

Among the breeding birds we can highlight the Spanish Imperial Eagle , the Marbled Duck , the White-headed Duck or the Red-knobbed Coot.

In migration and wintering, we can add the attraction of the presence of large concentrations of waders, waterfowl, cranes and flamingos.

With us you will be able to visit  Doñana in an easy and comfortable way , as we will pick you up at your accommodation in Seville, El Rocío or anywhere in Western Andalusia. We will visit the best birding areas of Doñana, not only in Seville but also in Cádiz and Huelva provinces. Half-day, full-day and multi-day excursions are available, highly customizable according to your preferences and targets.

Are you ready to discover Doñana?

Vicent Esteller – Doñana Wings Manager

DOÑANA NATIONAL PARK BIRDING DAY TRIPS

Northern Doñana: the best of Doñana.

  5/9 hours

The greatest diversity of birds and habitats that Doñana offers.  Lakes, marshlands, paddy fields, forest…and a long list of birds. And it’s only 30 km away from Seville!

   TOP BIRDS

Spanish Eagle, Marbled Duck, Red-knobbed Coot…

   LOCATION

   main habitats.

Southern Doñana: White-headed Duck stronghold.

  4/10 hours

Around the mouth of the Guadalquivir, this is one of the best areas to see some of the most endangered species of Doñana. Prime site for waders, terns and gulls.

White-headed Duck, Little Swift, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin…

Western Doñana: around El Rocío.

Around El Rocío, we can find a great diversity of habitats and birds. In this area you can find the best forests of Doñana and many trails to enjoy bird watching and walking.

Iberian Chiffchaff, Red-knobbed Coot, Iberian Magpie…

Birding Big Day: Doñana & around Seville.

Extra long tour to visit Doñana and a variety of habitats around Seville, which normally allows you to observe about 100 bird species , including most of the Iberian endemisms.

Marbled Duck, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Great Bustard…

DOÑANA NATIONAL PARK BIRDING HOLIDAYS

Doñana Birdwatching Tour: the whole of Doñana.

  Next tours: 15-18 January 2024 08-11 April 2024

  Query us about other dates or private holidays.

A complete tour to spot all the most wanted birds of the Doñana National Park and discover all the different habitats: beach, forest, wetlands, scrubland, salt pans, rice paddies…

Spanish Imperial Eagle, Marbled Duck, White-headed Duck, Red-knobbed Coot, Little Swift…

Seville, Huelva & Cádiz

Related highlighted posts

Top 10 birds of doñana, bird sightings in doñana 2019, pallid harrier in doñana, isabelline shrike in doñana.

Doñana Parque Nacional, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Doñana Parque Nacional, on the west coast of Andalucia, Spain, is one of the most important wetlands in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Coastal Donana

Doñana is a complex mosaic of landscapes forming a paradise for birds in the most important wetlands in Europe. Situated between the provinces of Huelva, Seville and Cádiz, Doñana is now a labyrinth of land and water that shapes the marshes, spectacular lakes and channels, reserves and pine forests, streams and banks, dunes, beaches and cliffs. Bonanza, Gallega, Ribetehilos and El Lucio del Cangrejo are good examples of the lagoons that dominate this area, providing shelter for thousands of birds.

Landscapes of the Parque Nacional de Doñana

El Rocio town

The Parque Nacional de Doñana is a vast area of coastal beaches, sand dunes, forests and freshwater marshes on the west bank of the mighty Rio Guadalquivir. It is the most important wetland in Spain and one of Western Europe’s prime birdwatching locations. It is also poorly mapped and bisected by tracks that are known only to locals with sparse habitation and villages over 20 kilometres apart. It is a fascinating place for a day out, particularly in the spring and autumn.

Among the varied landscapes that form part of Doñana are the moving dune systems that run between Matalascañas and the mouth of the Guadalquivir, over 25 kilometres of unspoilt beach and white sand. Or the 30 metres tall fossil dunes of the Asperillo, and, on the beach, the cliffs with the same name, made of orange and ochre sandstone due to the rich iron oxide waters that flow through the chorritos.

Azure winged magpies Acebuche

The lagoons are dominated by plants adapted to this habitat, such as reeds and rush. Further inland you will find other species more related to banks and river channels. Cork trees grow alongside strawberry plants and palm trees. The blood-red willow, an endemic of the Tertiary period, makes up amazing forests next to the royal fern, ash, white poplar, sarsaparillas and honeysuckle. The combination of very different ecosystems is the main reason that Doñana is a true paradise for birds. It has over 120 species.

El Rocia marismas

The humid, fertile, lower ground gives way to higher and dryer land. Magnificent forests of stone pine, such as Coto del Rey, El Abalario or the Pinar de La Algaida, share their habitat with the black mountains - myrtle, mastic, Moorish rock rose, rosemary, thyme, lavender, and the white and yellow rock roses. This is where two of the most valued species live, the Iberian lynx and the Imperial eagle, as well as other mammals, reptiles and birds.

Video By: Julie Evans

Stabilizing the coastal dunes are plants that can handle a dryer and windier atmosphere, with the sand and salt, which include juniper, savins and marram grass.

Discover the Parque Nacional de Doñana

The extensive network of trails is an excellent way to discover this protected area, either from horse back, hiking or by bike. These allow you to access excellent riverbank forests along the Acebrón path, bird watch following the route of La Rocina, which has observatories for this purpose, or follow pleasant cycling routes, such as the one that crosses the Matalascañas and another that starts in the forest village of Cabazudos. Meanwhile, birdwatching possibilities, with or without a guide, are outstanding.

The Statistics

Its statistics confound the brain. The central national park covers an area of 54,252 hectares. This area is only accessible if you pay for an official guided tour that, quite frankly, takes four hours to whisk you round, allowing little time to appreciate the birds and animals found there. The ‘buffer zone’ surrounding the national park consists of 84,200 hectares of natural park and agricultural land with a further 1,362 hectares on the east bank of the river round the Isla Menor. This area is open to the public. Properly known as the Marismas de Guadalquivir the national and natural parks are home to 378 species of birds, together numbering over 8 million, of which 136 breed regularly, augmented by a further 1,200,000 birds that overwinter. Mammals are represented by the almost extinct pardel lynx, red and fallow deer, wild boar, mongoose, otters and many others. There are 21 recorded species of reptile and 11 amphibians including the rare spur-thighed tortoise. The flora list is similarly extensive.

How the Doñana Formed and Developed

Even the way the Doñana came to be is unusual. At the end of the last glaciation, rising sea levels deposited river borne sediment in the former river estuary which isolated the area from the sea. The river then dug its own channel through the sediment that combined with falling sea levels until the area became unaffected by the tide. The wetlands are now sustained by rainfall and often, during the summer, dry up forcing the birds out of the marshes and into surrounding ricefields, which are constantly kept under a few cms of water during the growing season. The fertile ground today produces fruit and vegetables, rice and cotton. Even man’s activity helps sustain the flora and fauna.

Rice Growing in the Parque Nacional de Doñana

Rice was first introduced to the Doñana region in 1970, when a local farmer decided to drain and level a small part of the natural marsh and attempt to grow the crop. The idea worked and more and more marshland was reclaimed and converted into rice fields. At the time there was great concern shown by some conservationists that the draining of the marshes would have an adverse effect on the birds and other wildlife, but in fact, the outcome was completely different to that which was forecast. Successful rice growing relies on the roots being permanently submerged under a few centimetres of water throughout the growing process. This created new “wetlands” and the birds, which beforehand were forced to leave the Doñana region during the dry, hot summer in search of suitable wetland feeding areas now moved into the rice fields, attracted not only by the grain, but also by the rich and abundant food supply of frogs, fish, eels, insects, worms, grubs and larvae that lived in the fields.

If the rice growing season sustains the birds throughout the summer, then the harvesting time supplies them with a magnificent banquet. The harvesting, which commences in late September and can last through to early December, is carried out by combine harvesters that cut the top of the stems that hold the grain and leave about 30 cms of stalk still standing. A few days after the rice has been cut, the remaining stalks in the still flooded fields are then ploughed back into the mud to add nutrients to the soil for the next growing season. The specially adapted tractors that perform this task are fitted with very wide rear wheels made of slatted metal and as they carry out the ploughing process they are also churning up the fish, eels, frogs, newts, crayfish, insects, grubs and larvae by the millions. Many bird species are attracted to the fields by the rich soup that is being churned up and it is not unusual to find 10 – 15,000 birds in one field, fighting for the choicest morsels.

The Red Swamp Crayfish Invasion

In 1974, in an effort to maximize the profit he could gain from his land, a local farmer decided to import 200 kilograms of live Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) from America and introduce them into the rice fields. Some people say that his idea was that he would have a constant supply of the basic ingredients for paella, ie. rice and shellfish. Others subscribe to the idea that he was a shrewd businessman and was supplying local bars and restaurants with constantly fresh crayfish. Whatever the reason, this was also a success and nowadays thousands of tonnes of crayfish are harvested annually. However, there is always a price to pay for introducing “foreigners” into any area and these larger, more aggressive creatures resulted in the loss of the indigenous crayfish species (Austropotamobius pallipes).

Even Marks and Spencer’ benefit from the Doñana. They rent a large tract of land on which they grow potatoes for retail through their stores.

Dangers of Pollution

In 1998 a less beneficial occurrence was the unintentional polluting of the Rio Guadiamar that feeds into the Guadalquivir with water containing heavy metals that poisoned the land around. The Junta de Andalucia bought the polluted ground from the local farmers and stripped out the food crops replacing them with plants like the willow that will tolerate and eventually clean up the soil. This strip is known as the Corredor Verde del Río Guadiamar and is now an extremely important part of the food chain.

What UNESCO says about Doñana National Park

The Doñana National Park was inscribed by UNESCO as a world heritage natural site in 1994. The area inscribed was increased in 2005.

Doñana National Park in Andalusia occupies the right bank of the Guadalquivir river at its estuary on the Atlantic Ocean. It is notable for the great diversity of its biotopes, especially lagoons, marshlands, fixed and mobile dunes, scrub woodland and maquis. It is home to five threatened bird species. It is one of the largest heronries in the Mediterranean region and is the wintering site for more than 500,000 water fowl each year.

See all the Doñana Parque Nacional articles here

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Doñana National Park Tour from Seville - Donana National Park Tour 2024

Visit doñana park - nature trip from seville, doñana national park tour from seville - donana national park tour - 2024.

Doñana National Park and el Rocio Seville Day Trip

Visit doñana with best doñana national park day trips & tours from seville.

A must-see ecological visit to Doñana . Enjoy an incredible experience and book your guided tour to Doñana Park and El Rocío village. You will be amazed by the flora and fauna, as well as by the views of the most important nature reserve in Europe !

A fabulous natural environment located between the provinces of Huelva , Seville (1 hour by car) and Cadiz, the Doñana National Park is a set of ecosystems that harbour an impressive biodiversity.

If you want to spend an unforgettable day exploring the Doñana National Park , having the chance to observe the Doñana lynx, the park's birds and other wildlife, come with us!

With our off-road vehicles, you can discover Europe's most important protected nature area . And, of course, have fun while you're at it!

You will also be accompanied by a specialist guide who will explain everything you see along the way.

So what are you waiting for? This Doñana National Park and el Rocio Seville Day Trip is a perfect visit for your family or your children. Join us for an unforgettable day in the Doñana National Park! This excursion to Doñana is definitely worth doing before leaving Seville.

Included/Not included

• Excursion in the surroundings of Doñana.
• Visit of a UNESCO World Heritage Center.
• Professional guide.
• Round trip transportation from Seville.
• Binoculars to see the fauna of the park.
• Drinks and food

Availability and Prices

Adults 89,00 € Children 65,00 € Students 65,00 € Babies 0,00 € Extra horseback riding tour 35,00 €

Your experience

Meeting point excursion to doñana.

The start time varies according to the season. After making your reservation, please contact us to specify the meeting point and exact time.

  Rastro Street 12A - Seville

About your activity

What to expect: Seville to Donana National Park and El Rocio 4X4

Guided tour of the highlights of doñana park (huelva).

This nature reserve, which is a unique landscape, has coastal wetlands that are the result of particularly complex interactions between physical and biological factors.

There are a multitude of transit habitats: sandbanks, seagrass beds, mussel beds, sandbanks, salt marshes, estuaries, beaches and dunes, pinewoods, cork oaks and heaths, and regularly flooded marsh areas of open lagoons.

This ecomosaic was created by the Guadalquivir River, which deposited sand and suspended matter at its mouth over thousands of years.

As the Danish Wadden Sea , Doñana attracts many migratory birds: it is estimated that six million of them stop in Doñana when they change their habitat in Africa to reach Europe in spring or autumn.

Many of them even make the leap to the other continent and spend the winter in the far south of Europe.

Doñana Park is one of the last large-scale intertidal natural ecosystems where five threatened bird species live. It is one of the largest herons in the Mediterranean region and the wintering ground for more than 500,000 water birds.

"La Dehesa de Abajo, in the Doñana region, is home to Europe's largest colony of white storks and a well-preserved wild olive forest."

With this excursion you will be welcomed in one of the last virgin areas of the southern coast of Spain, the Coto de Doñana National Park in Andalusia and "El Rocío Village" in the municipality of Almonte (Huelva).

Doñana Reserve

The varied landscape of the Coto de Doñana National Park offers a mixture of many species that will delight birdwatchers.

Here you can see other animals, especially around the Laguna de Santa Olaya - the heart of the national park -: large imperial eagles, flamingos crossing the shallow waters, next to which are spoonbills and herons.

The deer, grazing on the grass in front of a pine tree crown in the shape of a small Christmas tree, are also reminiscent of the African savannah.It is estimated that six million birds stop here when they change habitats in Africa and Europe in spring and autumn. Many of them even skip the jump to the other continent and spend the winter in the far south of Europe.

Programme of your visit to Doñana and El Rocio

It all starts in the city of Puebla del Río

Here you can see the first rice fields, as the whole region holds the record for the largest rice production in Spain and its environment, thanks to its impressive natural beauty, has been the setting for many films, including the acclaimed Spanish film La Isla Minimima.

Afterwards, you will visit the Aldea del Rocío , known for its religious devotion and its famous Rocío pilgrimage, which is the most important in Spain.

Every year, on Pentecost , it attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to the village of El Rocío (municipality of Almonte, province of Huelva) who come to honor Nuestra Señora del Rocío, also known as Blanca Paloma, La Pastora or the precious nickname : The Queen of the Marshes.

You will see for yourself the chapel of Nuestra Señora del Rocío that is visited by more than a million people during the annual meeting of devotees.

Often near the marshes that border the Aldea de Roció there are horses in semi-freedom that remind us of those of the Camargue.

After visiting the village of El Rocío , we will go to the impressive Palacio del Acebrón, located next to the Arroyo de la Rocina , and we will discover another ecosystem of Doñana: the gallery forest.

Along the way we will make a circular walk while we interpret the tracks of the animals and we will get to know some of the endemic plant species of the natural environment of Doñana .

Then we will have a short break to eat, tasting the typical cuisine of the area, and then we will go to the beach and the coast of Doñana.

With more than 31 kilometers, the Doñana coast is the longest virgin beach in Spain.

We will see its famous special dunes where we can observe the flora and fauna characteristic of this ecosystem.

Also, if the weather permits and you are free to do so, you can take advantage of this moment to take a bath, in summer this refreshing bath will be, believe me, welcome.

At the beginning of the sunset, we will start our return trip to Seville crossing, in 4×4, the wooded area of the Doñana National Park to see some of the large mammals that inhabit the area and maybe see, if we are lucky, the famous Iberian lynxThe emblematic animal of the Doñana National Park.

At the end of this excursion we will return to Seville. We will take you to the same place where we picked you up that morning.

This excursion to Doñana Park from Seville is a rewarding experience, ideal if you are a nature lover, or to show your children one of the few remaining biospheres that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994.

The Doñana Natural Park is a beautiful place to visit. It is also a great place to view wildlife and immerse yourself in an environment where wildlife and nature thrive. If you are ever in Seville, it is a must see!

English, French, Spanish, Italian

Accessibility & Tips

Accessibility.

• Check the equalitasvitae website see accessibility and current regulations in doñana park
• Water bottle.
• Clothes and footwear according to the time of year.

FAQS: Visit Doñana Park and Rocío Village

What is the best thing about doñana natural park.

Doñana Natural Park is a beautiful place to visit. It is also a great place to see wildlife and immerse yourself in an environment where the famous Doñana lynxes thrive. If you are ever in Seville, it is a must visit!

Cancellation policy

• Moderate cancellation policy.
• The refund of the price of the monuments tickets will not be granted in case of cancellation of the visit.
• Cancellations made 48 hours before the start of the activity will be refunded 100%.
• Cancellations made between 48 and 24 hours before the start of the activity, 50% refund.
• Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start of the activity will not be refunded.

Rules & Restrictions

• Late arrivals will not be reimbursed . If the group is complete, the visit will begin waiting for a time acceptable to those who are delayed (about 5 / 7mn).

I just finished this tour this morning and it was amazing! As a solo traveler, I felt very safe traveling with this group of individuals.

The tour guide was very knowledgeable and helped group participation. The excursion included a bus trip to the Doñana National Park.

I highly recommend this tour.

I was looking for a guided tour of the Doñana National Park and I found this. It is a visit to the Doñana National Park with a certified local guide and you can enjoy a relaxed and educational day in the most prominent places of the national park.

I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Seville. Our guide was very knowledgeable and told us the history of the park and answered any questions we had. It was the best of our trip to Seville.

This was an amazing trip, the tour was done perfectly, it was very organized, the guide was very friendly and helpful.

The information given was accurate and complete, the place is magnificent, the landscape is beautiful, the animals are so beautiful, I am so happy I did this trip, I would recommend it 100%, thank you for a wonderful day!

More activities to do in Seville after your excursion

   Aracena - Day Trips

     69 €    

Aracena and Riotinto Mines Day Trip from Seville

   Ronda - White Towns of Andalusia

     169 €    

2-day to Ronda and White Villages from Seville with Hotel & Transport

   Córdoba - Day Trips

     75 €    

Seville to Cordoba Day Trip – Mosque-Cathedral Tour & Tickets – BOOK NOW!

Booking   65 €.

  Mon - Tue - Wed - Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun   07:30 - 08:00

Day trip to Doñana Park

Doñana National Park Tour from Seville - Donana National Park Tour

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Travel for the culturally curious

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• the ACE experience
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Eurasian Hoopoe

Azure winged magpie

Coto Doñana

Odiel river

Glossy ibis in the Doñana National Park

The Coto Doñana & Seville | November 2024

Discover the remarkable wildlife of the Coto Doñana, including the birdlife teeming on the lagoon near our hotel

Spend a day in the enchanting city of Seville, including an evening flamenco performance

Look out for mammals including red deer and Egyptian mongoose in Arroyo de la Rocina

“A very relaxing tour in a fascinating location” “I can't commend [Kevin] highly enough. Not only is he great at spotting and identifying wildlife, but he is endlessly enthusiastic and cheerful”

The Coto Doñana is one of the most prolific birdwatching destinations in Europe. From our base, the small hermitage village of El Rocío, we will study the area’s birds, mammals and ecology, alongside the cultural delights of Seville and Huelva. 

Our itinerary has been designed to make the most of this stunning natural environment and maximise our chances of seeing the wonderful birds and mammals that inhabit it. 

The sandy tracks not far from our hotel are perfect for spotting one of the Doñana’s great birds, the Spanish imperial eagle; while across the drier habitats of monte blanco scrub and umbrella pine woodland live the beautiful azure-winged magpie, hoopoe, egrets, warblers and other typical Mediterranean species. At the Odiel Marshes Natural Park, we will search for osprey, terns, spoonbills and waders.

As well as taking in the cultural highlights of Seville, we will tour Huelva, famed as the terminus a quo for the voyages of Columbus, and spend time in El Rocío. Here, the sandy streets are designed for the horses and wagons of the thousands of pilgrims who come to the village for the Whitsun Romería del Rocío.

Our final day takes us into the Coto Doñana National Park for an exclusive guided tour, supported by local experts, to understand the complex ecology of the region and look out for rarer species.

We will stay at the Hotel La Malvasia in El Rocío, a traditional and welcoming establishment conveniently located for our visits and within walking distance of the Marismas del Rocío. This string of huge lagoons teems with birdlife: great flamingo flocks, ducks from northern Europe, storks, stilts, glossy ibis, purple gallinule and raptors such as kites and harriers.

This tour will be led by conservationist and environmental co nsultant Kevin Hand , MSc, M CIEEM. Kevin has a special interest in birds, mammals and ecotourism, and has led many projects linking nature and communities. Kevin was previously a Director of the Tree Council. In 2017 he was appointed President of the Cambridge Natural History Society and continues to act as Vice President. He currently also chairs the Newmarket Chalk Streams Trust.  Kevin looks forward to returning to the Coto Doñana with an ACE group in 2024. 

Included: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a superior twin or double bedded room, traditional flamenco performance, seven breakfasts, three lunches with water & coffee, seven dinners (one light) with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.

Not Included: travel insurance, superior double room for single use supplement £450.

MSc, MCIEEM

"This is my eighth tour with Kevin - so he must be doing something right! He is extremely knowledgeable and delightfully enthusiastic, while at the same time making everyone feel included, whatever their level of knowledge"   “Kevin was very informative and sensitive to everyone’s level of knowledge, which created a very interactive atmosphere” - Previous ACE customers

Kevin Hand , MSc, MCIEEM, is a conservationist and environmental consultant with a special interest in birds, mammals and ecotourism. Kevin led a Darwin Initiative project on the taiga forests in Siberia, a project on sustainable forest use in the Ecuadorean Amazon with the Yachana Foundation. He  was previously a Director of the Tree Council and he  ran National Tree Week in the UK for 13 years. In 2017 Kevin was appointed President of the Cambridge Natural History Society and continues to act as Vice President. He currently also chairs the Newmarket Chalk Streams Trust.

View tours with Kevin Hand

Fitness & Practicalities

  The majority of ACE Cultural Tours are active in nature and, to make the most of our time in a destination and provide excellent value for money, they are busy with visits every day. As such, they require a certain minimum level of mobility, physical and mental fitness, and stamina.

While this tour is not expected to be especially strenuous, participants should possess a good level of overall fitness and be comfortable undertaking several nature walks of up to 6-8 miles daily in warm weather (the Tour Director will offer shorter alternatives if required). These walks will contain regular stops with longer breaks for lunch. Most terrain will be flat, with some rugged, sandy, muddy or uneven stretches, and participants should also be prepared for urban walking in Seville.

As a minimum, participants should be able to successfully complete the following self- assessment tests:

• Walk for one hour at a reasonable pace and without needing to take a break to rest
• Climb at least two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace
• Stand unaided for at least 30 minutes
• Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute
• Carry or otherwise move your own luggage

Please ensure you have read and understand our full fitness requirements as described in our terms and conditions.

Click to read our terms and conditions

For customers who wish to make their own travel arrangements, ACE is pleased to be able to offer a flight reduction of £175.

Depart London Gatwick 1205 on Easyjet, arriving Seville 1555. Transfer to Hotel La Malvasia, El Rocío, for seven nights. 

Morning walk to Arroyo de la Rocina (dry land habitat with azure-winged magpie, hoopoe, egrets, warblers, red deer, wild boar, Egyptian mongoose). Free afternoon with optional early evening wildlife walk (bats, night herons, owls, amphibians). Evening talk: An Introduction to the Coto Doñana National Park .

Coto del Rey and Romerio route (chance to see Spanish imperial eagle). Afternoon walk in El Rocío area and birdwatching across huge lagoons of Marismas del Rocío (flamingo flocks, storks, stilts, ibis, purple gallinule, kites and harriers). Evening guest talk with a representative of the SEO (Spanish equivalent of the RSPB). 

Whole day excursion to Seville: cathedral and Alcázar (fine 14th century Mudéjar work) followed by some free time to explore the city independently. Evening: traditional flamenco performance in Seville.

Morning visit to El Acebuche Visitors’ Centre (restored hacienda, lynx reintroduction programme, black-shouldered kite, southern grey shrike). Afternoon: walk to Playa de Cuesta de Maneli (picturesque boardwalk to a beach, with beach walk if time allows).

Morning: Odiel Marshes Natural Park (wetland reserve with osprey, terns, spoonbills and thousands of waders). Continue to Huelva: Columbus statue and Harbour of the Caravels (replicas of the boats used on Columbus’s first voyage to the Americas). Please note that our afternoon visit can close at short notice depending on the weather; if this happens, we will instead visit La Rabida Franciscan Friary . 

Half day excursion to the northern part of the Coto Doñana National Park for exclusive guided tour (complex ecology and chance to see rarer species). Free afternoon.

Depart Seville 1320, arriving Gatwick 1505.

Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to confirmation. Changes to visits may be necessary nearer the time, depending on local conditions, and we cannot guarantee the presence of all wildlife mentioned.

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Doñana National Park

Doñana national park.

By Jo Williams

The Parque Nacional de Doñana is one of Europe's most important wetland reserves and a major site for migrating birds. It is an immense area; the parque itself and surrounding parque natural or Entorno de Doñana (a protected buffer zone) amount to over 1,300 sq km in the provinces of Huelva, Sevilla and Cádiz. It is internationally for recognised for its great ecological wealth. Doñana has become a key centre in the world of conservationism.

Doñana is well known for its enormous variety of bird species, either permanent residents, winter visitors from north and central Europe or summer visitors from Africa, like its numerous types of geese and colourful colonies of flamingo. It has one of the world's largest colonies of Spanish imperial eagles. The park as a whole comprises three distinct kinds of ecosystem: the marismas, the Mediterranean scrublands and the coastal mobile dunes with their beaches.

The configuration of the Parque Nacional de Doñana is a result of its past as the delta of the Guadalquivir river, the 'big river', or Wada-I-Kebir, of the Moors. But it is a delta with a difference. Unlike most, the river has only one outlet to the sea, just below Sanlúcar de Barrameda . The rest of what used to be its delta has gradually been blocked off by a huge sandbar that stretches from the mouth of the Río Tinto , near Palos de la Frontera , to the riverbank opposite Sanlúcar, and which the sea winds have gradually formed into high dunes. Behind this natural barrier stretches the marshlands (marismas).

The effect of this extraordinary mélange of land and water was to create an environment shunned by people but ideal for wildlife. As early as the thirteenth century, the kings of Castille set aside a portion of the Doñana as a royal hunting estate; later the dukes of Medina Sidonia made it their private coto too. One of the duchesses of Medina Sidonia, Doná Ana de Silva y Mendoza , indulged her antisocial instincts by building a residence there that was more hermitage than palace. As a result, the entire region came to be known as the 'forest of Doná Ana', or Doñana. In the eighteenth century, Goya is known to have visited the Duchess of Alba at the Palacio de Doñana when she was its proprietress. Subsequently, the land passed through many hands before the official creation of the parque nacional in 1969.Meanwhile, adjoining areas of wetland were being dramatically reduced. Across the Guadalquivir vast marshes were drained and converted to farmland, until only the protected lands of the Doñana remained intact. For centuries there had been only a vacant spot on the map between Lebrija in the east and Almonte in the north west, but in recent years whole towns and villages have sprung up west of the Guadalquivir, and the resort town of Matalascañas has brought urban sprawl to the south-western edge of the Doñana, a place once occupied by reed-thatched fishermen's huts. The proximity of these settlements has further complicated the work of the park's wildlife guardians. Two of the Doñana's precious lynxes, for example, have been run over by cars on the highway to Matalascañas ; cats and dogs straying out of the nearest towns have killed animals in the park, and birds that have overflown the fences have been gunned down by trigger-happy hunters despite stringent conservation laws.

A more permanent threat to the Doñana's ecosystem are the new ricefields and other agricultural projects north of El Rocío , whose run-off waters sluice pesticides into the marismas. In the same are environmentalists cite too much legal and ilegal borehole water extraction for the agriculture.   The mining activity to the north lead to the Aznacollar disaster in April 1998 in which a holding dam burst at the Los Frailes mine, releasing 4 million cubic metres of acidic mine tailings containing heavy metals. The effluent flowed via River Ario and River Guadamar into Doñana. The EU funded clean-up operation took three years and cost of €240 million.

Entrance to the park is strictly controlled. No unauthorised motor vehicles are permitted.  You can visit bird hides and explore the environs along board walks from the vaious visitor centres.  You can also take half-day trips into the park with official guides and tour companies. 

El Acebuche Visitors Centre To visit the principal visitors' centre at El Acebuche , take the A-483 south of Almonte and about 12km from El Rocío is the signposted turn at Km37,8 for Centro de Recepción El Acebuche (959 43 96 29), 1½km from the main road. Alternatively, you can drive 3km north of Matalascañas to the turn-off at Km37,8. The centre has an exhibition about the park, a café and a shop selling maps and books. From the centre is a signposted 5km trail through scrubland and pine trees. Next to the centre is the El Acebuche lagoon, with bird hides, where you can see purple gallinules, among other birds.

La Rocina Visitors Centre The nearest visitors' centre to El Rocío is La Rocina (959 44 23 40), 500m from the village and just off the Matalascañas road. It has information on the park and a 3km-long nature trail along the freshwater lake and marshland Charco de la Boca, which feeds into the Madres de la Marismas at El Rocío . The trail has five bird hides and it's possible to see purple gallinules, hoopoes, herons and Savi's warblers, among other birds.

Palacio del Acebron Visitors Centre Seven kilometres on from La Rocina is the Palacio del Acebrón, an old hunting lodge containing exhibitions on the park. In the grounds is a pleasant 1½-km nature trail through woodland and around a small lake, the Charco del Acebrón .

Jose Antonio Valverde Visitros Centre The Centro de Visitantes José Antonio Valverde on the northern edge of the park has some excellent birdwatching opportunities. It is 30km south of the town of Villamanrique de la Condesa, from where it is signposted.

Playa de Castilla beach The Playa de Castilla beach, reached on foot east of Matalascañas , runs alongside the park boundary and although you can't enter Doñana here, you can walk along the beach, it is a beautiful, unspoilt stretch of coastline with good birdwatching possibilities. The beach extends 30km to Sanlucar and is the location for the annual Triathlon Desafio Doñana .

Sanlucar Ferry The park can also be reached (but not entered) by taking the ferry boat across the Guadalquivir river from Sanlúcar de Barrameda where there is a visitors' centre, the Centro de Visitantes Fábrica de Hielo (956 38 16 35), with exhibitions on the Doñana. You can take the Real Fernando boat daily (except in January) from Sanlúcar for 13km up the Guadalquivir river, stopping in a few places for guided walks into the park. It's advisable to book in advance, especially during the summer and holidays. Exceptions to the access rules are made each April/May for the 'grandfather rights' of the EL Rocio pilgrims .   

VISITS by TOURS

From El Acebuche visitors cntre there are four-hour trips into the park run by the Cooperativa Marsimas del Rocío (959 43 04 32 / 648 76 29 14), which must be booked in advance. The four-wheel drive truck vehicle can seat 21 people and guides speak some English. There are two trips a day (excluding Mondays in winter and Sundays in summer), at 8.30 and 15.00 (17.00 in summer). Full day trips can also be organised for groups, with lunch in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. A typical trip will take in all three ecosystems in the park - dunes, matorral and marshland - but the amount of exposure to each environment varies with the seasons. One thing is guaranteed - no two visits will be alike

Tours from Seville

Book tours from seville, donana national park: 4x4 guided day tour from seville.

This opportunity lets you explore a world heritage site, Doñana National Park, in 4X4 vehicle small group tour. Take the day to explore Doñana which houses the most biodiversity of any national park in Europe. Home to over 300 different species of birds, this park excursion allows any bird watcher to explore beyond their dreams.

Private Birding & Photography Day Trip to Doñana

• We will discover in a private tour the wildlife and nature of Doñana with an expert ornithologist who will explain why this is the most important ecological reserve in Europe. • This area is typified by marshlands, Umbrella Pine forest and rice paddies.

Horseriding in Doñana

Book horseriding in doñana, horseback riding around doñana.

We are horse lovers, horse trainers, dressage champions, nature lovers and great at having parties, showing people around and enjoying nature and animals. Come and join us (Dani, Gregorio, Pepe y Lucía)

The closest accommodation to the entry point of El Acebuche in the park is in Matalascañas , about 3km from El Acebuche. Ten kilometres north of El Acebuche is the village of El Rocío , with various hotels. 

Alternatively, there is  Mazagón  on the coast or Villamanrique de la Condesa to the north of the park. Accommodation will be very hard to find (or extremely expensive) around the time of the  El Rocío pilgrimage  at Pentecost in April/May. During the summer months, the seaside resorts of Matalascañas and Mazagón are also very busy, so book ahead at this time.

There are many campsites close to the Playa de Castilla beach along the A494 between Mazagón and Matalascañas , which runs alongside the park boundary. In the summer it's well worth booking in advance when the campsites could be full, particularly in August.

• Camping Doñana (959 53 62 81) At the Mazagón end of the A494 at Km34.6, this shady campsite has wooden cabins and tents for rent and a swimming pool.

• Camping La Aldea Located inland on the edge of El Rocío village near the marismas, this campsite has bungalows for hire, a bar and a shop.

• Camping Rocío Playa (959 43 02 38) On the A494 Mazagón-Matalascañas road at Km 45.2, 1½km west of Matalascañas, is this large campsite. Facilities include a restaurant, tennis court, football pitch and a bar with wonderful views. There are wooden bungalows and tents for hire.

The park supports an incredible array of vegetation in a variety of virgin habitats. Inland are large expanses of stone pines, as well as Mediterranean scrublands, with narrow leaved cistus heather, mastic tree, rosemary, cistus scrub, glasswort, red lavender, rosemary and thyme. There are also junipers and forests of cork oaks, known as "las pajareras" for the enormous quantity of birds that nest in them. Among the flowering plants are lavender, tree heaths, gladioli, irises and rock roses. In the spring the marshlands are covered with flowers.

This is a vast wilderness that supports an unrivalled wealth of fauna; 125 species of birds are known to be resident here, as well as 125 migratory bird species, 17 reptiles, nine amphibians and eight species of fish. There is a rich variety of mammals, 28 species in total, with some in danger of extinction, such as the lynx and the Egyptian mongoose. Also here are badgers, rabbits and otters. Game is also plentiful, with red deer, fallow deer and wild boar.

Doñana comprises delta waters which flood in winter and then drop in the spring leaving rich deposits of silt and raised sandbanks and islands. These conditions are perfect in winter for geese and ducks but most exciting in spring when they draw hundreds of flocks of breeding birds. If you're lucky you may also catch a glimpse of the rare Spanish Imperial Eagle, now down to 15 breeding pairs. In the marshes and amid the cork oak forests behind you've a good chance of seeing grey herons, lanner falcons, ring and turtle doves, partridges, oxpeckers, cattle egret, storks and vultures.

What you see at Doñana depends on the time of year and the luck of the draw - November, December and January constitute the off-season for visitors but is an ideal time for waterfowl, since the autumn rains have brought life back to the marismas and filled the lagunas. Gradually, the water attains a uniform depth of 30-60 centimetres (12-24 inches) over vast areas and the resulting marches attract huge flocks of wildfowl, ducks, geese and other water birds of the most varied kind. These are freshwater marshes, incidentally, although there are traces of sea salt in the underlying silt. Here and there small islands (vetas) rise above the water. These remain dry throughout the year, creating an ideal breeding ground for waders and terns.

Towards the end of February the geese that have migrated here from northern Europe commence their return journey, but at the same time the spoonbills arrive from North Africa to nest in the cork oaks. In March the waters begin to recede and spring begins in earnest. This is also the time when the imperial eagle hatches its eggs: 15 breeding pairs of these formidable hunters were counted recently in the park - above a third of all the imperial eagles known to survive in Spain. Each pair requires nearly 2,600 hectares of land to hunt over in summer, and even more in winter. This is a far from perfect environment for these great birds and Doñana pairs seldom raise as many young as those elsewhere in Spain.

In spring the marismas are alive with birds - some settling down to breed, others en route for more northern climes. Huge numbers of kites hang in the air, harriers send the duck scurrying skywards in fear of their lives. There are black-tailed godwit and ruff on their way to Holland and beyond, greenhank and wood sandpiper bound for Scandinavia, little stint and curlew sandpiper heading for northern Siberia and usually a marsh sandpiper that should be a thousand kilometres or more further east.

Overhead, vast flocks of whiskered terns wheel and circle along with a few gullbilled terns and racy pratincoles. There are swallows galore, some of them red-rumped, and bee-eaters and rollers perch on post and wire. All of these and more can be seen from the bridge at El Rocío - perhaps the best free birdwatching in Europe.

From bird hides at the reserve centre, just south of the bridge, you will hear Cetti's and Savi's warblers and watch egrets, herons and little bitterns come and go. Marsh harriers and kites are continually on view and sometimes a majestic imperial eagle will soar from the woods of Doñana over El Rocío to the Coto del Rey.

In mid-summer the temperature in the parched marismas easily exceeds 40°C. Aquatic birds that remain in the stagnant pools die of botulism, and each year thousands more die during the advancing drought in the Doñana. In August, there is almost nothing left of the marsh's aquatic fauna, but it is a good time for observing dozens of summer residents, which include griffon vulture, booted eagle, red and black kites, short toed eagle, Baillon's crake, purple gallinule, great spotted cuckoo, Scops owl, red necked nightjar, bee eater, hoopoe, calandra, short toed and thekla larks, golden oriole, azure winged magpie. Cetti's and Savi's warblers, tawny pipit, great grey shrike, woodchat shrike and serin.

As part of the Guadalquivir delta, the park is riddled with creeks and streams, the main ones being the Brazo de la Torre, the Caño de Guadiamar and Caño Real. The park is dotted with ponds (lucios) that, like the marshlands themselves, can dry up almost completely in summer.

The core of the park is off-limits to independent walkers. There are footpaths, often with bird hides, leading from the following visitors' centres: El Acebuche, La Rocina and El Palacio del Acebrón . You can also walk alonside the park boundary on the Playa de Castilla , near Matalascañas . A signposted walk, the Sendero Laguna del Jaral Medano del Asperillo, is off the A494 at Km 47. Coming from Matalascañas, there is a car park on the left with an information board and map. It is a challenging circular 5.6km trail that crosses sand dunes and pine woods and will take around 3½ hours. It has superb views of the sea. Make sure you take plenty of water and go when it is not too hot.

Also signposted is the Sendero Cuesta del Maneli. This is a circular trail through the dunes and pine woodland between the road and the beach. It is 2.3km long and takes around 1½ hours and is easier than the Sendero Laguna del Jaral Medano del Asperillo. To get there, take the off the A494 Matalascañas-Mazagón road and at Km 38 there is a car park and information board.

Villages nearby

Matalascañas

Sanlúcar de Barrameda

Villamanrique de la Condesa

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Destinations

• Costa de la Luz (Huelva)
• Sherry Towns
• Huelva province
• Cádiz province
• Natural Parks
• Bird Watching

Doñana's Secrets

Stay at the iconic village of El Rocío

Discover all the birding hotspots in Doñana

Explore its marshes, umbrella pine woods and sand dunes

or request  a private tour

An amazing Doñana bird tour

Welcome to the most biodiverse area in Europe! Doñana National Park is one of Europe's most important wetlands, specially in winter, when it receives thousands of ducks and waders from northern and western Europe. We'll have the chance to discover all different habitats, under the magnificent light of this flat and huge coastal region of Spain. This is an ambitious bird tour that takes us to all the corners and habitats in Doñana , and therefore produces a big variety of birds.

Tour itinerary

We will meet in Seville airport and head directly to our accomodation at El Rocío. There will be time for some birding and photograply in the nearby marshes, where we should get a nice array of birds. We'll end up tasting a local sherry to wish good luck for the upcoming days!

We will cross the Guadalquivir river and drive along the southern shore, a real ornithological jewel. Here we will enjoy comfortable birding from the vehicle towards the saltmarsh complex of Sanlúcar. We'll be looking for some of the most scarce waterfowl in Europe, such as Marbled Duck (catalogued as vulnerable) and White-headed Duck. We'll cross our fingers for Little Swift, Capian Tern and Slender-billed Gull.

We'll spend the morning looking for the very elusive Iberian Lynx. Although chances are not too big, we'll give it a go on places where your guide has seen them before.

We'll also scout the impressive prairies of the Coto de Doñana where we'll give it a go on Fallow Deer and Spanish Imperial Eagle.

Later on we'll visit José Antonio Valverde, the most renown visitor center for wildlife enthusiasts.

Today we'll enjoy nice walks around wetland areas. We'll start at the Dehesa de Abajo Reserve, where we'll be looking for Crested Coot and Ferruginous Duck.

The area should be receiving thousands of ducks, so we'll need to scan the wetland carefully from the bird hides. In the afternoon we'll try to add new species checking other wetlands and forests west of El Rocío.

Doñana's got some nice wooded areas inhabited by an interesting bird community. We'll be looking for iconic species, such as the very scarce Lesser Spotted Woodpecker or the secretive Tawny Owl. The scrubs should produce Dartford Warbler and Iberian Grey Shrike.

On our last day we will allow some time for birding in the morning before heading back to Seville, where our Donana bird tour tour ends.

What wildlife to expect

Hopefully over 120 species. Possibility to see endangered or difficult birds such as Spanish Imperial Eagle , Marbled Teal, Red-knobbed Coot and Ferruginous Duck. Other possible birds inlcude Booted Eagle, Greylag Goose, Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier, White-headed Duck , Swamphen, Black Stork, Iberian (azure-winged) Magpie, Flamingo.

Ther will also be chances to see Penduline Tit, Crested Tit, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Short-eared Owl, Pintail, Crane, Red Kite, Black-winged Kite , Black-tailed Godwit, Lesser Kestrel, Buzzard, Short-toed Treecreeper, Dartford Warbler, Hawfinch, Crested Lark, Serin, Spoonbill, Little Swift , Glossy Ibis, Black-crowned Night Heron, Bluethroat, Greenfinch, Caspian Tern, Kingfisher and Hoopoe .

Possible mammals are Iberian Lynx, Red Deer, Fallow Deer, Otter (difficult) and Red Fox. Although this tour is not focused on the Lynx, we will visit their territories and will have a chance to track them, and just with luck get a quick sighting. We don't guarantee any Lynx sightings in Doñana. To see the Lynx we recommend our Iberian Lynx Tour .

Other wildlife

Mediterranean Chamaelon, Iberian Pond Turtle, Spiny-footed Lizard, Moorish Gecko, Iberian waterfrog, Red Admiral.

OPEN GROUP TOUR DATES Dec 9 - 14, 2024 (6 days) * Query us for different dates , tour extensions or for a private tour

PRICES Rates per person sharing: € 1600 Single supplement: € 200

TOUR PARTY Min. 4 - Max. 6 fellow travellers

Tour leader: Álvaro Peral

WHAT'S INCLUDED - Transfers from/to Seville - Transport in a modern van - Charming accomodation - Delightful and plentiful food - Professional guiding services (in English) - High quality optical material - Guidebooks and daily bird checklist - Accidents insurance - All taxes and entry fees

WHAT'S  NOT INCLUDED - Flights - Extra drinks - Personal costs

ACCOMODATION We will be based at the charming village of El Rocío at 2 min walk from the lagoon.

FOOD Coffee and tostadas for breakfast. Lunches will be either picnic or two-course meals at local establisments depending on the day itinerary. Dinners will be plentiful and prioritize traditional andalusian cuisine.

What other customers say

Alvaro has in-depth knowledge of all the hotspots in Donana. I had a great day with him coldest day and drizzling 57 species in 3 hours. Very knowledgeable and knows the places he guides very well species-by-species. Over that past 50 years I’ve birded 32 countries. He is amongst the top 5 guides I have ever birded with. An affable pro !

Mark W H, Massachussetts

We guide this birding tour by means of Andalucía Slow Tours, S.L., a local travel agency accredited by the Spanish Tourist Board with number CIAN 297083-2.

the Lynx tour of Doñana

Special tour with one main target: the world’s most endangered feline. Travel around Doñana National Park in the search of this elusive mammal.

Doñana is not only home for hundreds of bird species, it is also home for the most endangered cat on Earth and holds the traditionally second largest population of Iberian Lynx.

Through this Lynx guided tour, we spend a day out enjoying the Mediterranean forest with all its different aspects (flora and fauna) while looking for our main target. Despite the low chances, the search of the Lynx can be quite exciting even we do not manage to find it!

We follow the indications by the Wildlife Department of the Spanish Government and apply the good practises with maximum respect for Lynx watching. Please have a look at the document by clicking on the following link:

Best practises for bear, wolf and lynx watching in Spain (English version)

BOOKING NOTES:

• We cover areas of public access of the Natural Park and common land of Doñana that keep the highest density of Iberian Lynx, driving and walking through several Lynx territories.
• Through this tour we do not access the restricted area of the National Park.
• For open-group tours, we need a minimum of 4 people to go as we do not have daily departures but try to put different bookings together. In case we do not reach the minimum to go, you can choose whether to pay the difference to do a private tour or cancel to be fully refunded.
• Either private or open-group bookings are not automatically accepted. Your payment via credit/debit card is held by your bank until we confirm our availability and accept your booking. In case of refund, you will get your payment back within 7 working days.

To see the information in larger size, click on the image.

Route locations

Doñana is a vast protected area of nearly 1,300 square kilometres of extension with different protection status such as World Heritage, Biosphere Reserve, Ramsar Site, SPA and National and Natural Parks. Through this trip, we visit the common land north of Doñana National Park that hosts the largest density of Iberian Lynx, driving and walking across the Mediterranean forest and the farmland on the edge and outside the Park. At an extra fee, we can enter restricted sites such as Coto del Rey or Finca de Gato, both in the Natural Park area in between the provinces of Huelva and Seville.

Duration time

The duration of the trip depends on the meeting point, the numbers of birds and mammals that come across and the interest in other special species of flora and fauna. Normally we will spend 4 hours on a half day tour and between 8 and 9 hours on a full day.

BOOKING NOTE FOR OPEN GROUPS:

We do not run daily departures and need a minimum of 4 people to go. In case we do not reach the minimum, you can choose whether to pay the difference to do a private tour or cancel for a full refund.

Availability

Multilingual.

All our guides speak fluent English and the tour can be done in French, Portuguese or Catalan on demand.

Checklist available in different languages.

Pickup can be arranged from any accommodation or any meeting point within the provinces of Huelva and Seville. For long distances, a fuel fee might be charged.

We use vehicles according to the group size. Usually a 9-seater minibus for up to 8 customers.

Please choose if you would like to take this tour in an open or in a private group.

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Discover our tours and make a booking

Doñana Tour (most popular)

From 33€ The Doñana tour is the perfect way to discover the National Park from a unique perspective as you explore its ecosystems and enjoy the beauty of this remarkable enclave. Our expert guides share information with you during the…

Private Half-day Doñana Tour

From €210 On this private tour of Doñana you’ll discover the whole National Park in a comfortable and relaxing way. This guided tour uses an all-terrain vehicle and a guide will provide you with fascinating information about the flora and…

Private Full-day Doñana Tour

From €310 Explore Doñana at your own pace with the ease and comfort of a private visit and enjoy detailed explanations from an expert guide. On a private tour of Doñana you can discover each of the Na-tional Park’s ecosystems…

Large Group Full-day Doñana Tour

From €750 This is the best option if you’d like to visit Doñana as a group. Choose a vehicle for 15, 21 or 30 people and discover in comfort each of the ecosystems in the National Park, including its beaches…

Visit Doñana from Sanlúcar de Barrameda

From €50 When you visit Doñana from Sanlúcar de Barrameda you’ll discover the whole National Park in a very special way. Explore all the ecosystems in an all-terrain vehicle, including the dunes, marshes and also Doñana’s impressive beaches. Cross the…

Doñana from North to South Tour

From €56,50 The tour operators that organise tours of the north and south zones of Doñana National Park now offer you the chance to enjoy both routes with a special offer that gives you a more comprehensive view of Doñana.…

Doñana Tour with Aires Africanos (Camels)

From €50 The Doñana Tour with Aires Africanos consists of a journey in special all-terrain vehicles inside Doñana National Park where you’ll visit all the different ecosystems in this stunning nature reserve and discover their wide diversity of flora and…

Gift Donana

Now you can buy online the GIFT VOUCHERS of our most demanded visit at the best price. Configure your favorite bonus and give whoever you want an unforgettable and exclusive experience. An original gift to surprise whoever you want. Download…

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Book now by calling us on (+34) 959 430 432 and visit every ecosystem in Doñana

A series of ecosystems converge in Doñana to give it a biodiversity that is unique within Europe

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The Travelling Naturalist

Iberian Lynx Quest

Join us to explore some of the most wonderful and wild corners of Andalucia: the vast Doñana National Park and the rugged Andujar Natural Park: the last refuges of one of the rarest cats in the world, the endangered Iberian lynx. The area is also home to a wealth of other mammals and birds, as well as some truly beautiful and typical local villages.

Image by John Muddeman

Image by Sergio Gonzalez Asian

Day 1 Fly to Seville, transfer to El Rocio & Coto Doñana

• Fly from London to Seville and transfer to El Rocio & Coto Doñana, some two to three hours away.
• On the edge of the renowned Coto Doñana National Park, El Rocio is an extraordinary village which fiercely preserves its own totally distinctive appearance and character. The wide sandy streets are lined with white houses, many of them ornately decorated by the religious brotherhoods from surrounding villages that come here at pilgrimage time. Often described as looking like a ‘Wild West’ town, El Rocio seems more reminiscent of old Mexico: the main form of transport is still horseback, with hitching rails provided outside the bars, shops and even the private houses. In the evenings, riders pause outside the bars to sip sherry and chat on horseback, while pallid swifts and red-rumped swallows wheel about overhead.
• Just beside our hotel lies one of Doñana’s fabulous marshes which, even when dry, attracts birds. In the autumn, red deer stags can be heard roaring from deep inside the marsh in the early mornings.
• Accommodation: Hotel Toruno, El Rocio, 4-nights on full board basis.

Days 2-4 Doñana National Park

• The remainder of the Iberian lynx population lives in and around Doñana National Park, a quite different environment of flat grasslands and pine forests where just a few individual oak trees or remnant patches of Mediterranean oak forest are found. This is an area besieged by the marching tide of Spain’s EU-funded agricultural revolution… and a noose of roads grow ever tighter as Seville and its suburbs expand.
• Despite a slowly increasing population, the chance of seeing an Iberian lynx by chance here is very small, so we'll enlist the help of local guides, who will take us for excursions into the national park and adjacent natural park areas where they know the best places to find tracks and signs of lynx.
• With such an intensive itinerary, we also take a break from our lynx quest and head down to the coast for a day’s birdwatching along the shore and in its adjacent lagoons and saltpans. With a wealth of wintering and migrant birds, it’s always a rewarding experience, including flocks of greater flamingos plus numerous waders and gulls, and even with a good chance of Mediterranean chameleon too.

Day 5 Drive east to Andújar Natural Park

• This morning, we depart El Rocio and drive east to the rugged hills and mountains of Andújar Natural Park, some four hours away.
• Accommodation: Complejo Turístico Los Pinos, Andújar, 3-nights

Days 6-7 Andújar Natural Park

• Andújar Natural Park has some of the best preserved Mediterranean forest in the Iberian Peninsula. Amongst the oak forest that clads these hills are grassy glades and secluded valleys where the lynx hunt rabbits, rest amongst the rocks, and raise their young in ancient, hollowed oaks. Here live the majority (perhaps 70% or more) of the world’s remaining Iberian lynx. Perhaps here, in a refuge from the modern world, it has a chance of survival.
• In this quiet and relatively unpopulated region, others of Spain’s wild animals thrive. As well as Iberian lynx, there are also otters, wild boar, mouflon and red deer. The mountains also hold a large population of griffon vulture, as well as good numbers of the rare cinereous vulture and Spanish imperial eagle.
• We'll explore these habitats slowly, watching for tracks and signs of lynx, and hoping for a sighting. But even if we are not lucky with lynx, there is plenty of Spanish wildlife to see in this wonderful habitat.

Day 8 Transfer to Seville and fly back to the UK

What’s included.

All prices are per person and include:

• Services of the naturalist leader

Accommodation

• Guided activities
• 2nd leader subject to minimum numbers

Further tour info

We stay in a 3-star hotel in El Rocio and purpose-built rural apartments in Andújar.

All rooms are en suite, except for the singles at Andújar, two of which share a bathroom on the top floor of the cabin – clients who wish to have the whole top floor, and their own private facilities, may do so, at extra cost.

All meals are included. Breakfast and dinner will be taken at the hotel, and lunches will be picnics in some wonderfully scenic spots.

Other species thrive in the secluded hills and valleys, including a large population of griffon vulture, and good numbers of the rare black vulture.

• Spanish imperial eagle
• Red-rumped swallow
• Greater flamingo
• Pallid swift

Although our tour concentrates on looking for the endangered, and elusive, Iberian lynx, we will hope to see other animals that thrive in the habitats.

On this tour we explore two distinct habitats favoured by the Iberian lynx: one, the unique Mediterranean cork oak woods, and the second, an environment of flat grasslands and pine forests. The scenic village of El Rocio is more reminiscent of old Mexico than Iberia.

Typically warm and sunny, with temperatures in the range of 12°–26° Celsius, but the early morning and evening can be chilly, especially in March.

March is often showery, while October is usually dry.

Easy. Most lynx watching is done either from the vehicle or from nearby at fixed locations in the main viewing areas – so as not to disturb the animals. Any walking is short distances only over mainly easy terrain, but may involve the odd steeper slope. Walking boots are not essential, but nonetheless advisable.

Price includes return scheduled flights London – Seville – London.

Ground transport

Ground transportation is by minibus, with driver.

Tour reports

The total of Single + Male shared + Female shared must match the number of single travellers you are booking for.

The lead traveller is the person we will discuss availability with and any other matters that affect this booking.

Please read our conditions of booking below or view them in a separate page and then accept them .

In particular, please note: It is a condition of joining our holidays that you must be fully insured against medical and personal accident risks . We strongly recommend having insurance in place from the point of booking confirmation, with adequate cancellation protection to cover your deposit.

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All the activity options in Doñana

not to get bored

Different levels of protection are applied in the Doñana Natural Site depending on the area; they set, among others, the access restrictions for visitors.

In the  National Park , where the priorities are the conservation of species and ecosystems and research, the options for the visitors are reduced to the visitor centres, all located in the periphery of the Park, with their self guided walking trails, and the 4WD tours offered by the authorized companies, the only way to see the restricted areas of the Park open to the public.

In the Natural Park , where the idea is to combine conservation and research activities with the use of natural resources and educational activities, there are many more options for visitors. In addition to the visitor centers, there are a number of hiking and cycling trails of different lengths that run through forests, dunes and marshes, and other activities offered by different companies such as horse riding tours, drawn-horse vehicle tours or camel tours.

The following offers very useful information on how to organize your visit to Doñana.

Official tours to the National Park

If you want to visit the National Park there are 3 kinds of organized tours; remember that they all require a reservation in advance. Park itself does not offer tours for the general public. Therefore, all tours are organized through private companies with a concession or authorization from the Park administration to carry out their activities.

This itinerary takes you from El Rocío to the José Antonio Valverde Visitor Center along the traditional pilgrim’s path called Raya Real, passing through Coto del Rey Pine Forest, Matasgordas Cork Oak Woods and Hinojos Marshes. This is the only tour to the National Park that offers possibilities to observe the Iberian lynx and the only one that goes into the marshes and offers good options to get of a long list of birds.

This is the only tour to the National Park that will offer you some chances to see the Iberian lynx and will take you into the marshes and it is particularly good for birdwatching .

This is one of the routes that we offer in Discovering Doñana . Depending on your interests you can choose from a private tailor made tour, or a shared one for a maximum of 10 people. The usual duration of our half day tours is 5 hours so we’ll be able to make as many stops as need and enjoy the scenery and wildlife of Doñana without time restrictions. In addition we normally complement the tour with other interesting places in the Aznalcázar Marshes such as Lucio del Lobo and Caracoles State and other nearby areas like Entremuros or the Hato Blanco Rice Fields, that offer good opportunities for birds and some mammals like the fallow deer. Quality binoculars are offered for each participant if needed.

For bird watching and nature photography lovers we offer full day tours , of about 10 hours, in which we include the Isla Mayor Rice Fields and other nearby areas of ornithological interest like Dehesa de Abajo.

There are  two other companies authorized by the National Park that offer tours along this route, mainly to people with general interests. Visits last normally for about 4 hours with a couple of stops along the route and a long one at the visitor centre, and are carried out in 8, 15 or 25 passenger vehicles. They offer binoculars included in the price although we recommend you to bring your own if you have them. www.donanareservas.com www.donana-nature.com

Tours in 4WD vehicles along this route are carried out by the concessionaire company Cooperativa Marismas del Rocío and leave from El Acebuche Visitors Center , some 3 kms north of Matalascañas.

They use large 21-seater 4WD minibuses to take you to see some of the most important ecosystems in the Park, mainly areas of “cotos” (pine forests and scrubland), beaches and dunes, and include areas the locally called “vera” along the edges of marshes. It is the only way to see the famous mobile dunes of Doñana, which are one of the main attractions of the tour.

The route covers a total of about 70 kms and runs along the 32 km of beaches between Matalascañas and Sanlúcar de Barrameda and then runs along the mouth of the Guadalquivir River to go later into an area of pine forests. Then they stop at La Plancha Village , an old abandoned forestry village, and keep going along the “vera” to go later through the mobile dunes before returning to the beach. The itinerary may be changed depending on the tides.

The tours last for about 3 hours and a half , too little for the long distance covered. Binoculars are not included in the price but you can hire them before starting the tour. In high season pickups are also organized from Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

Check more details on www.donanavisitas.es

It consists on a boat tour of about 3 hours and a half and covers about 13 km up and down the Guadalquivir River and is organized by company Buque Real Fernando. Tours depart from Sanlúcar de Barrameda , from a small pier on the left banks of the River.

The ship, with a capacity for 100 passengers, will take you upstream to the ancient forestry village of La Plancha, in the National Park, on the right banks of the River where they will offer you to go for a short walk through their restored thatch huts to see try and imagine what living here was like. A walking trail will also take you to some viewpoints over the Llanos de Velásquez , where hopefully you will see some red deer and wild boars.

Back to the boat, they will take you to the ornithological hides at Salinas de Monte Algaida , in the Natural Park, again on the left bank of the river, traditional salt pans where flamingos, spoonbills and other shore birds abound.

Finally the ship will go back the same way downriver to Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Binoculars are not included in the price but you can hire them on board.

Check details on: www.donanavisitas.com

Walking and biking trails

The Park offers 9 walking and biking trails of different lengths and features and 3 bike paths. They are all  self guided and open to everyone.

Short-distance trails

Most short distance walking trails are located in the Natural Park, which is divided into 4 different sections within 3 provinces: Seville, Huelva and Cadiz. There are a total of 6 short trails.

Laguna del Jaral walking path

This is a 5.5 km long and medium difficulty circular walking trail. It begins at the kilometric point 46 on the local road H – 492 from Matalascañas to Huelva. There is a small parking area next to a metallic gate that will have to close behind you. The sandy track will take you first to a seasonal lagoon called Laguna del Jaral, which usually looks just like a clearing in the pines, and then continues to the top of the Asperillo Dunes, offering spectacular views of both the Atlantic Ocean to the south as a ” green sea” of pine in the Abalario area to the south.

Then the trail offers a view over a small but beautiful mobile dune next to the attractive sandstone cliffs of Playas de Castilla. You are not suppose to leave the signposted track so enjoy the views of the dunes and the sea in the background before continuing. Then the track will take you down to the edge of the cliffs offering great views of the long stretch of sandy beaches where you may find some flocks of gulls resting or terns fishing.

This trail also stands out for the species of plants adapted to this harsh habitat and the variety of species of small birds like Dartford warbler, woodlark and thekla lark. It is also a good place to look for footprints of reptiles, amphibians and mammals that live here.

Download leaflet of the trail .

Cuesta Maneli walking path

This is a low difficulty boardwalk path with a length of around 1.2 km that will take you from the kilometric point 39.7 of the road A-494 to the beach. There is a controlled parking area at the beginning. In summer you will find a beach bar.

As we move through the dunes, we find species that have adapted to survive in this tough habitat, among which corema album, which is only found in the peninsular Atlantic coast stands out.

You will reach the 112 meters over the sea level and we’ll have excellent views over an endless landscape of sandy beaches. Once down on the beach you will also see the impressive Asperillo sandstone cliffs with gullies and ruts made by water erosion.

Dune walking trail

With a length of approximately 1.5km, this walking trail runs through a section of the dune ecosystem, from the first embryonic dunes at the edge of the beach to the first “corral”, where trees of a certain size grow. Coastal junipers ( Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa ) and Phoenicean junipers ( Juniperus phoenicea subsp. turbinata ) accompany the stone pine in these forests that develop in among the dune lines.

The dune system extends for about 30 km following the coastline. It has a width of between 500 and 5,000 meters and reaches around 30 meters high at Cerro de los Ánsares, the highest point in the national park.

The trail can be difficult to follow at some points where it has been covered by the advancing sand.

Download leaflet of the trail

El Villar Arboretum walking trail

It is a route of about 6 km in length that runs through this curious collection of almost 50 different species of eucalyptus. This arboretum was in operation from 1955 to 1970 with the idea of experimenting and investigating the possible uses of different species of trees for timber, industrial and ornamental purposes within the framework of a forestry plan that emerged due to the lack of raw materials after the civil war.

Laguna de Ribetehilos walking trail

This is also an easy boardwalk path with a length of abou 1.3 km long going around the Ribetehilos Lagoons and its string of smaller ponds sewn by a thread of water, with the typical riparian vegetation of peatlands. It is especially recommended in the rainy season when the lagoons are flooded. The signposting of the access from the road H – 492 have recently been improved.

The landscape of the lagoons contrasts sharply with the surroundings’ consisting o in a pine forest reforestation with a thick undergrowth on sandy soils. Cork oaks, strawberry trees and brooms are replacing in these wetter soils the eucalyptus with which the area was reforestated in the 30s and 40s.

Along this route you will find information boards on different topics like gum tree and pine tree plantations, recollection of peat, carnivorous plants ( pinguicola lusitanica ), strawberry tree and its fruits, little dwarf palms and their exploitation, geological substrates, the colour of the sands and the landscape restoration.

Download a leaflet of the trail

El Arrayán biking and walking trail

Circular walking and bike trail, around 5.6 km long , which runs around El Arrayán Recreation Area, located on the local road connecting Hinojos with El Rocío.

It goes most of the time through an umbrella pine reforestation , accompanied by mastic trees, different kinds of rockroses, rosemary, lavender, brooms and other typical species of Mediterranean Forest. A section of the path goes next to La Major Stream with vegetation adapted to more humid soils with species like cork oak, heather and strawberry tree.

In the area abound a very good variety of small forest birds, azure-winged magpies, some birds of prey like booted eagle and live mammals such as mongoose, badger or red fox.

Cerro del Águila walking trail

It is a walking and biking trail of about 5.6 km that goes through La Algaida Pine Forests and by Los Desamparados Saltpans. The route starts with a stop in the bird observatory at El Tarelo Lagoon, artificially dug to extract sand for kitchen gardens in the area, but that today support a good variety of water birds among which the red-knobbed coot and the white headed duck stand out.

Then the trail continues through areas of forest pine with abundant Mediterranean vegetation with junipers, mastic trees, rockroses, black hawthorns, flax-leaved daphne and honeysuckle. Then we will approach the contact area of the forest sands with the marsh clays, which has been transformed here into saltpans.

Later, the grounds undulate and the trail leads to an area of fossil dunes where we will have good views of the pine forests in the National Park. We will pass through the so-called Cerro del Águila (eagle hill) due to a pair of short-toed eagles that nested here.

Long-distance trails

There are three long-distance trails with public access in the Donana National Park. All they run through sandy soils and, except the one along the beach, you may find flooded or muddy spots along the route. They have no toilet facilities or potable water, so you should bring everything you think you will need.

Camino de Moguer walking trail

This route goes along the last section of the traditional pilgrim’s route locally called Camino de Moguer, which connects this area of Huelva province around the village of Moguer with El Rocío.

It is a sandy track of about 12 km that go through places of great beauty and high natural value within the strip of land associated with the La Rocina Stream and included in the National Park.

The route runs through areas of umbrella pine and cork oak, crossing several streams to reach the old forestry village of Cabezudos.

Raya Real walking trail

This is the most famous pilgrims’ route, called “Raya Real”, used each year for many thousands pilgrims coming from Seville and a good part of Andalusia to bring them to the village of El Rocío.

There are about 15 km of sandy track from Puente del Ajolí, east of El Rocío, to the local road to Villamanrique, via Palacio del Rey. About 6 km of it are within the boundaries of the National Park and the other 9 in the Natural Park.

Doñana National Park Beaches

The National Park protection area extends 1 mile offshore, so the beach is included in it. There are about 32 km of beaches of fine white sand from Matalascañas to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, on the Cádiz coast, that are considered as one of the last virgin beaches in Spain. Some old wooden fishing huts and the ruins of several ancient watchtowers are the only constructions.

Nevertheless it may sometimes appear as a very busy place due to the presence of a number of professional shellfish collectors and the vehicles of the Park rangers and the 4×4 tours to the south of the National Park. It may also look dirty, due to the large amount of trash that the Guadalquivir River and the Atlantic Ocean bring back to us every day with the tides.

Walking at high tide on the dry sand is really hard, but at low tide is much easier on wet sand. As a whole it is a long and demanding route. If you still dare, you it will be good to know that there is a ferry to cross over to the other side of the Guadalquivir River to the town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. From there it is not difficult to continue your journey along the coast of Cádiz province. Website of the ferry company 2016 price list

It is only allowed to walk along the coast but not to leave the beach and go into the dunes.

Cycling paths

Asperillo bike trail.

This is a low difficulty linear trail of about 17 km. It runs parallel to the A-494 that connects Huelva with Matalascañas. You will enjoy a beautiful reforested umbrella pine forests and the fossil Asperillo Dunes, covered by natural vegetation. It is a good route for watch bird like thekla lark, sardinian warbler, dartford warbler, woodlark, serin, azured-winged magpie, bee-eater and woodchat shrike.

Along this route you will find the accesses to the footpaths of Laguna del Jaral and Cuesta Maneli.

Guadalquivir Marshes bike trail

A cyclist itinerary of about 65 km that will take you through the transformed and natural marshes on bumpy gravel tracks. A good place to start would be Venta del Cruce, an off road restaurant at the intersection of roads SE–659 and SE-666 south of La Puebla del Río.

It is a good route for bird watching, so you can easily spend a full day exploring the area. The end point of the route is the José Antonio Valverde Visitor Center, where you will find toilets and bar for a drink.

Vereda del Loro bike trail

This green corridor about 24 km long, accessible on foot or by bicycle, linking the Ermita de Montemayor, in the vicinity of the town of Moguer with the Doñana National Park, next to the entrance to Doñana Camping Site, where it links with the Asperillo bike trail and later with the Cuesta Maneli walking path, creating a medium length bike route through an area of high ecological and cultural values.

The route runs through areas of umbrella pine reforestation and temporary lagoons with patches of cork oak and scrub with a wide variety of plant species and forest birds. Red deer, wild boar, red fox and mongooses also live in the area.

We remind you certain rules that should be followed:

Respect animals and plants, do not disturb the environ.

Do not driver motor vehicles

Without permit.

Pets are not allowed

Interfere with wildlife.

Camp only if permitted

By the park.

Do not start any fire

Of any kind.

Respect Nature silence

No needless loud sounds.

Stay on the marked paths

Do not leave them.

Keep countryside clean

Use trash bins.

Other activities

Horse riding tours.

There are several companies that offering horse tours in Doñana, but only allowed in the Natural Park or edges of the National Park . From rides on horseback through the forests, beaches and dunes of Doñana for the more adventurous to tranquil horse rides and through the streets of El Rocío or traditional pilgrim roads.

Doñana Horse Adventure offers the best rated horse riding activities in Doñana including several day tours. Tours for intermediate and advanced riders in several languages.

Turismo Ecuestre Doñana  offers horseback riding horse and horse-drawn vehicles through the streets of El Rocío, the pine forests of Coto de Rey and the Real Raya. (web in Spanish only)

Hípica El Pasodoble offers horseback riding through the pine forests, dunes and beaches near Matalascañas in the Doñana Natural Park.

Arte Andaluz organizes excursions on horseback through the pine forests, dunes and beaches near Mazagón in the Doñana Natural Park and several day tours. (web in Spanish only)

Camel tours

A ride on an authentic African camel, enjoying extraordinary views through pine forests and dunes; an unforgettable experience and aimed at all audiences, both adults and children and also for people with a disability or handicap.

More information

GOLF COURSE IS NOT OPEN ANYMORE.

For golf lovers, the company Doñana Golf offers an 18 hole course. The spacious tees, its fairways and the large greens allow such versatility that the player will feel as if playing on different course every day. It is an easy walk tour that will force the player to use every club in the bag.

We offer you the exciting and true experience of the ecosystems and species of Doñana, a nature paradise in Europe.

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The Best of Coto Donana - A Beginner Birdwatching Tour

A gentle 5-day exploration of the magnificent Coto Doñana National Park in search of the incredible birdlife of both its best and least known corners. This itinerary is especially tailored to beginner birdwatchers.

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In spring the marshes of the Coto Doñana attract an amazing variety of birds and offer one of the greatest ornithological spectacles on the continent. El Rocío, a delightful village with sandy streets that overlooks the lagoon, river and marshlands of the Doñana, provides a fine base as we explore in detail the wide range of habitats in the region: the mosaic of marshes, Stone Pine woodland, open grassland and heathland, freshwater pools and coastal sand dunes. On one day we will use 4x4 vehicles to explore the more inaccessible reaches of the park, and on another we'll explore the rice paddies and reedbeds north of the Guadalquivir River.

• Purple Gallinule, Marbled Teal, Crested Coot & Spanish Imperial Eagle
• Iberian Magpie, Great Spotted Cuckoo & Red-necked Nightjar
• Collared Pratincole, Slender-billed Gull, Gull-billed Tern & Lesser Short-toed Lark
• Bee-eaters, Golden Orioles & Nightingales add a splash of colour & song
• Mammals may include Red & Fallow Deer, Wild Boar & even Iberian Lynx!
• Comfortable, central base, just a stone's throw from all the action
• Expertly guided by a patient, knowledgeable, fun Naturetrek tour leader

Grade A. Easy birdwatching walks.

In 1956 a team of distinguished ornithologists organised an expedition to explore the wilderness of marshes and woodland along the Guadalquivir River in southern Spain known as the Coto Doñana. At a time when foreign travel was still a remote dream for most people, the subsequent account of the expedition in Guy Mountfort’s classic book ‘Portrait of a Wilderness’ made exciting reading and inspired ambitions to visit this remarkable area. Six decades later, the Coto Doñana is still regarded as one of the best birdwatching sites in Europe but it owes its continued existence to the efforts of dedicated conservationists, who have fought against a myriad of threats, ranging from encroachment by farming and tourist developments, to a serious chemical pollution incident. Although the central core of the area was declared a national park in 1969, the conservation struggle continues, but each spring and autumn the marshes still attract an amazing variety of birds and offer one of the greatest ornithological spectacles on the continent.

We begin our holiday in Seville, famous for its oranges and Moorish architecture, from where we will drive south-west to the town of El Rocío, a delightful and elegant village that overlooks the lagoon, river and marshlands that lie within the Coto Doñana National Park. With its white-washed buildings (that include a magnificent church) and its unmetalled sandy streets, there is something of the American Wild West about this village! It also makes a fine base as we explore the wide range of habitats in the region: the mosaic of marshes, Stone Pine woodland, open grassland and heathland, freshwater pools and coastal sand dunes. Here we will enjoy the large numbers of birds of prey that are present in the park, together with numerous other migrants, including storks, herons, waders, ducks, gulls and terns. We will also look for some of the region’s specialities, amongst them Purple Gallinule, Marbled Teal, Crested Coot and the rare Spanish Imperial Eagle (seven pairs of which occur here). Additionally, in the drier habitats, we will search for such species as Iberian Magpie, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Tawny Pipit, Lesser Short-toed Lark and Red-necked Nightjar. A range of mammals may also be encountered in this part of the park, most notably the Iberian Lynx, of which a handful remain in this corner of Andalucia, together with Red and Fallow Deer, Hares and Rabbits all, potentially, to be found on the menu of this endangered cat!

For the latter half of our holiday we will focus on the marshes and paddy fields in the eastern part of the Doñana, where the birding is excellent. We will focus, in particular, on a vast area of 11,300 hectares at the heart of the Guadalquivir Marshes that is included within the Doñana Nature Reserve and comprises an extensive area of ‘naturally’ farmed fishponds, pastures for cattle grazing, and rice paddies — all areas being organically farmed with great awareness of, and provision for, the vast numbers of birds attracted to this avian paradise. Avocets, Collared Pratincoles, White Storks, Slenderbilled Gulls, Gull-billed Terns and many other wetland bird species all nest in good numbers, whilst in winter hundreds of thousands of ducks and waders thrive here. The site also supports large numbers of Greater Flamingoes and Purple Gallinules, as well as Marbled Teal and the occasional White-headed Duck. It is an experience which will undoubtedly provide the highlight of this holiday.

Both in spring and in winter one cannot help but be impressed by the sheer number of birds here. Pools are crowded with herons and egrets, flocks of terns swoop over the marshes, and the sky is filled with raptors. In spring, additionally, we will hear the melodic outpourings of Nightingales from almost every thicket, and the songs of Great Reed, Reed and Savi’s Warblers from the reedbeds, whilst Beeeaters and Golden Orioles add their liquid tones to the chorus. With practice, some of the less familiar songs may also be identified: the scratchy warbling of Subalpine and Spectacled Warblers in the scrub, or perhaps the persistent rattle of a Cirl Bunting. Chirping tree-frogs and crickets remind us that not all the sounds are produced by birds and the fragrance of a myriad of flowers ensure that the Doñana experience envelops all of our senses!

Raptor enthusiasts will be delighted by the abundance of birds of prey inhabiting the Doñana, amongst them Griffon Vultures, Short-toed and Booted Eagles, Goshawks, harriers and both Red and Black Kites, but it will inevitably be the sights and sounds of the marismas that will leave the most indelible memory of our visit to this fragile Spanish wilderness.

Outline Itinerary

What's Included?

Comfortable tourist hotel, all rooms with private facilities.

• Food: All included in the price.

A beginner's bird watching tour in Coto Donana; knowledgeable and friendly tour leaders who happily shared their knowledge with us all. Spent each day out "spotting" and each lunch and evening enjoying Spanish food and wine and discussing the day's events. We saw lots of birds and would thoroughly recommend. P. & M.S. Berkshire

The tour leaders were excellent - informative and helpful. E.J. Derbyshire

Dates & Prices

Prefer to travel in a private group.

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

Tour Reports

Why naturetrek.

At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:

• The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
• Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
• Outstanding value and exceptional customer service

Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!

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