In Search of the Iberian Lynx

Granada is a comparatively small city with a population of just under a quarter of a million. The city has a vibrant bohemian feel to it and is packed with street stalls, cafes, bars and flamenco clubs. Granada is famous for its Moorish architecture, typified by its horseshoe arches, narrow winding streets, and a vibrant Arabian quarter.

The historical highlight of Granada is of course the Alhambra, a magnificent palace and fortress complex dating back to the 13th-century, which you will have time to explore this afternoon. The Palace enjoys a spectacular location, perched on a high hill overlooking the city, with the Sierra Nevada Mountains as its backdrop. During your tour you’ll be able to enter several of the palace rooms, which have been beautifully preserved, and enjoy a walk through the lovely palace gardens, revealing typical Moorish planting of roses, orange trees and myrtles. Surrounding the main complex are dense elm forests planted by the Duke of Wellington in 1812.

After your tour of the Alhambra, continue with your wildlife guide to Sierra de Andujar National Park, where you check-in for four nights at La Carcola Guesthouse on full-board basis.

La Caracola
La Caracola is a charming guesthouse situated in woodlands just outside the Sierra de Andujar National Park. La Caracola is a traditional Andalusian house featuring tiled floors, wrought ironwork on the windows, white-washed walls, thick wooden beams and typical red tiled roofing. There are seven bright, contemporary rooms, each with private bathroom. The lounge is large and comfortable with an open fire for cool evenings. There is a separate dining room and bodega. The outdoor pool and extensive gardens are perfect for relaxing. There is a hide in the garden for observing birds, who are frequent visitors!

Sierra de Andujar National Park is a large (748sq km) semi-mountainous part of the Sierra Morena mountain range, and is the preserve of some of Andalusia’s oldest Mediterranean forests of cork and oak. The Yeguas river flows through the rocky hills of the park, providing an essential water source for its forests and for its wildlife, which includes several endangered species. This is an excellent spot for wildlife enthusiasts, being home to the elusive lynx, perhaps the rarest cat in the world. After many years of being on the brink of the extinction due to habitat fragmentation and lack of its main prey (rabbit), the Iberian lynx is now slowly recovering. Among the other mammals found within the park are wolves, wild boar, red and fallow deer, fox, wild cat, Spanish ibex, and otter.

Sierra de Andujar also offers fabulous birdlife. Several birds of prey are frequently sighted within the park, including golden eagle, as is one of the largest birds in Europe, the black vulture. In addition, Sierra de Andujar is home to 25 breeding pairs of Spanish imperial eagle – one-tenth of the total population of this rare bird. Little owls nest between the granite rocks and rock buntings, hawfinches and warblers can be seen moving from bush to bush, while corn buntings gather together and hoopoes are usually seen feeding on the meadows.

Keen botanists will also find much to admire in Sierra de Andujar National Park. The open areas of the park display various varieties of rock rose and aromatic Mediterranean plants such as lavender, marjoram, thyme and rosemary, while the banks of the Yeguas River sustain willows, alders and poplars. Other species of flora include oleander, strawberry trees, myrtle and false olive. The stone pine is also found here and highly valued for its edible pine kernels. Botanists will be eager to spot some more unusual plants, such as the spring flowering jasione crispa.