Parque natural de la Sierra y los Cañones de Guara

For anyone who appreciates the great outdoors the Natural Park of the Sierra de Guara is truly unique, outstandingly beautiful, and a point of reference in northeast Spain. Dotted with small villages that were largely abandoned before the Park was declared, tourism has brought the area back to life, and with it some challenges too. There is so much for the outdoorsperson to do, with canyon descent, rock-climbing, horse-riding, cycling and trekking trails, cultural visits, wineries and a whole lot more. I'll get to the birding in a bit. The stunning scenery here is part of the south-facing slopes of the Pre-Pyrenees, with the peak of Guara itself just reaching over the 2,000m mark. There are some incredible gorges and cliff faces, and hermitages and villages perched in places that make you wonder. The medieval walled town of Alquézar is the jewel in the local crown, has been painstakingly (over?) restored and is worth a visit just for the setting. Now, to the birds. It's not in vain that we have been organizing Birding In Spain Winter Wallcreeper tours here for more than 15 years, as in the October-March period we can usually count on tracking down a wintering Wallcreeper or two. Then there's Bearded Vultures, scores of Griffon Vultures, Red Kites, Egyptian Vultures arriving in February and staying until September, Alpine Swifts, Rock Sparrows, Golden Orioles, eagles warblers, buntings, larks and more. An amazing place - I hope it stays that way.