Europe’s top wildlife experiences

Brown bears in the Asturias, Spain

The Someido Natural Park in northern Spain is carved by five river valleys that lace the views of grey peaks and green slopes with ribbons and pools of blue. Thanks to a concerted effort by conservationists, the Cantabrian Brown Bear, almost extinct in the 80s, is now flourishing again, with a population of around 250. Patience, quiet and a good guide are the keys to spotting these powerful yet shy creatures as they forage and fish in the park’s extensive wilderness.

Best time to go: April, May, June

How to do it: The park is fairly remote, so you won’t be seeing bears out of your bedroom window. It’s more of a long day trip. Stay at Hotel Rural 3 Cabos and you’ll be a couple of hours away, with sea views to come home to! You’ll need a guide in the park as its divided into zones, some of which are not open to tourists.

Hotel Rural 3 Cabos >

Spring birdlife explosion in the Alentejo, Portugal

Alentejo refers to a huge tract of Portugal, stretching from above Portalegre in the north almost to Faro in the south. It’s a sparsely populated area, largely free from modern farming and pesticide usage, making it a pristine habitat for the wealth of resident bird species and a perfect stop on the way south for many more. In Spring, great swirls of colourful wildflowers carpet the hills, the wetlands attract vast flocks of migratory birds and the whole region sings with life. During March, April and May, standout native species such as the Great Bustard, Stone Curlew, Montagu’s Harrier and Bonelli’s Eagle are joined by herons, egrets and numerous other species returning from warmer climes. If you can’t make it for spring, the Autumn raptor migration, when thousands of birds of prey head south, is also a stunning sight to see.

Best time to go: March, April, May

How to do it: From the beautiful lakeside finca Eira Queimada, owner Tamar can take you out on “safaris” to see not only the incredible birdlife, but all the wildlife on their private reserve including deer and wild boar.

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The return of the Lynx to Andalucia, Spain

Among the towering limestone pillars and boulder-strewn plains of Andalucia lives a tiny but growing population of the Iberian Lynx. Intense conservation has brought the lynx, with its distinctive tufted ears and mottled fur, back from the brink of extinction. The Sierra de Andujar Natural Park, which can be visited from Cordoba or Seville, contains the animal’s two favourite habitats, cork oak wood and the flat grasslands. They are most easily spotted in mating season, between December and January, but a visit from March to May gives you a chance of seeing the fluffy cubs pouncing on each other, as playful training for hunting rabbits.

Best time to go – All year round

How to do it: The visitor centre, Las Viñas de Peñallana, is just south of the park and north of the town of Andujar, easily approached along the A4 from Seville (2 hrs) or Cordoba (1hr). We also have places to the west (La Dehesa Experiences) or the east (Hotel Rural El Añadio) of the park. The visitor centre’s opening hours vary with the season but are generally only in the morning. You can get maps and tips there.

Stay in Seville >

The wolf pack of Segovia, Spain

Wolves once again hunt among the tall pines and in the gentle scrub-covered hills of the Guadarrama National Park, just 50 miles north of Madrid. The Iberian wolf has seen a remarkable turnaround, from being targeted as vermin in the 60s to protected status in the 90s and the establishment of a governmental fund to compensate farmers who lose livestock. The population, once completely wiped out in the area, has returned from the Sierra Norte mountain range and is now flourishing. A glimpse of their reddish fur or the flash of an eye in the dusk is an experience at once thrilling and, on some primal level, slightly unnerving.

Best time to go: All year round

How to do it: You can walk straight into the park from Finca Fuente Techada, which is only an hour from Madrid, so the total journey could be no more than a morning door-to-wolf.

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Swimming with sharks in Cornwall, England

The classic picture of a day at the beach in Cornwall is usually more about ice cream cones and sandcastles than ocean giants, but from May to July, basking sharks pass the tip of Britain on their way north. Measuring up to 12m and weighing as much as 7 tonnes, the docile creatures are the second-largest fish in the sea. Boat trips are great for getting a look at them and you might even spot them from the cliffs, but the only way to really grasp their scope is to get in the water with them. Snorkelling tours will drop you ahead of the sharks, giving them the choice of approaching or avoiding you. If you stay still, you might be rewarded with the intimidating sight of the huge ribbed mouth drifting towards you out of the hazy blue water, then gliding by, in search of smaller fry.

Best time to go: Mid May – mid July

How to do it: Dive shops throughout Cornwall offer the experience, mostly from Newquay or Padstow. Make base at Pentonwarra.

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