Observation and photography
Wild nature in its purest state
A living sanctuary where every glance reveals the majesty of nature.
The main motivation for ecotourists to visit a territory revolves around observation tourism, appreciation of the natural environment and traditional cultures. The scarce degradation that the natural resources of the Montaña de Riaño tourist destination have suffered makes it possible for the traveler to contemplate and enjoy the natural environment. Observation tourism allows ecotourists to see and understand what they are seeing.
Montaña de Riaño is a nationally recognized destination and increasingly known internationally for its landscapes and its well-preserved nature, but also for its possibilities for wildlife observation tourism and photography. In terms of fauna, it is one of the most important areas in terms of biodiversity in the country, with important populations of endangered species such as the Cantabrian brown bear, with a notable density of Iberian wolves, and a remarkable diversity of birds and insects. All this, together with the beauty of the surroundings for wildlife watching, make this tourist destination a unique and exceptional territory for wildlife observation.
Guided wildlife observation in the Riaño Mountains is a tourist activity linked to the so-called nature observation tourism. This is a globally booming tourist modality, which has experienced an exponential growth since the early 2000s but especially in the last decade. Because of this, it has positioned itself as a modality to be taken into account, increasingly relevant within the tourism sector especially in certain inland destinations, such as Montaña de Riaño, whose main resource is nature and where wildlife observation experiences of great interest to the traveler are being developed.
Not to be missed:
Wolf Watching
The Riaño Mountains are currently one of the most attractive destinations for wolf watching in Spain. It has an important stable population of Iberian wolf that is distributed continuously and homogeneously throughout the territory. The orographic and vegetation characteristics of the territory favor the observations by allowing sightings at ideal distances for the terrestrial telescope.
An unforgettable experience: When observing wildlife, few variables are capable of unleashing as much emotion as uncertainty and awareness of the difficulty of observing the species we are trying to spot. And the wolf has all these elements. With this species you can never guarantee success in the observation, no matter the hours and effort previously spent in preparing the activity. Each sighting trip is different; the behavior of the animals is never exactly the same from one day to the next; neither are the environmental circumstances the same.
This sensation is usually accentuated with the passing of minutes, sometimes hours. But suddenly, there they are. And the emotion is unleashed. Uncontrollable. And a smile spreads across our faces as we gaze through the telescope at the animals... and realize that they have already seen us. Their eyes, penetrating and amber, fixed on ours despite the mediation of the optics, are capable of making our hair stand on end and transmitting much more than a simple look: they suggest sensations and feelings, emotions that almost allow you to understand what is going on in the wolf's mind . And it is at that moment that one understands what the experience of observing wolves in the wild is.
Recommendation: To obtain the best guarantee of success, avoiding disturbance to the species and achieving an activity that is developed in a sustainable and respectful way with the environment, based on knowledge and experience, we recommend the use of companies affiliated with Soy Ecoturista.
Specialized agencies and wolfwatching tourism companies accredited with the Soy Ecoturista brand.
- WILDWATCHING SPAIN
- AVESHIDE/WILD SPAIN TRAVEL
- BIOSPHERE ADVENTURE
Bear watching
The Cantabrian brown bear population has experienced an increase in recent decades as a consequence of the application of different conservation policies carried out by the four autonomous communities that share the species' range in the Cantabrian Mountains. The Cantabrian brown bear population has increased in the last decades as a consequence of the application of the differentconservation policies of the species carried out by the four autonomous communities that share the distribution area of this species in the Cantabrian Mountain Range.
In Montaña de Riaño it is common to find packages that offer wolf watching in Montaña de Riaño with bear watching in Somiedo Natural Park or other protected areas in the western Cantabrian Mountains.
Specialized agencies and bear watching tourism companies accredited with the brand Soy Ecoturista:
-WILDWATCHING SPAIN
-BIOSPHERE ADVENTURE
-BIRDING RIAÑO
- MORE THAN BIRDS:
Wildcat observation.
Another wildlife observation activity that takes place in Montaña de Riaño is the observation of the wildcat, for which a strategy of transects or linear routes in a vehicle along roads that cross mountain pasture areas is used. This strategy, carried out at the appropriate time depending on the time of year, allows us to detect the cats when they come out to hunt water rats and voles in the meadows in broad day light. By taking advantage of the land consolidation tracks and keeping the animals' tolerance distances, during this activity it is possible to approach the cats at good photographic distances, which is why it is also an activity in demand by photographers and not only observers.
Specialized agencies and wildcatwatching tourism companies accredited with the Soy Ecoturista brand.
- WILDWATCHING SPAIN:
-AVESHIDE/WILD SPAIN TRAVEL
- MORE THAN BIRDS
Observation of the bearded vulture.
The bearded vulture is considered one of the most endangered birds in Europe. In Spain, the species is listed as endangered in the Catalogue of Threatened Species, at the same level as the Iberian lynx, the brown bear or the Iberian imperial eagle.
Present until the middle of the 20th century in most European countries, its area of distribution was progressively restricted to the Iberian Peninsula, where 85% of the European population is currently concentrated. In the Cantabrian area, the bearded vulture became extinct in the 1950s.
The close collaboration between public administrations and private entities has made it possible to carry out a series of actions aimed at the recovery of the species, choosing the reintroduced specimens in the area of the Cantabrian mountain range in the Riaño Mountains as a flight zone.
Bison watching in Anciles
The Bison that came to the town of Riaño from a city in the Levant have been adapting perfectly in an environment with limestone, deciduous forests, unique wildlife and many routes to enjoy the environment . They are a different species from the neighboring Altamira, today disappeared.
The guided safari will allow the traveler to get to know one of the most representative and unique valleys of the Riaño Mountains, not only for the biodiversity it shelters, but also for its natural beauty.The guided safari will allow the traveler to know one of the most representative and unique valleys of the Riaño Mountains, not only for the biodiversity it houses, since during the safari we will have the opportunity to see chamois, deer, mountain goats, eagles, the peregrine falcon or orchids such as the pyramidal orchid of great interest to botanists.
The observation of the Bison in the valley of Anciles has its origin in the work developed by the Bison Valley Foundation that promotes their breeding and recovery. It is a non-profit organization whose main purpose is to promote rural development, education and conservation of the Anciles Valley and its traditional uses, as well as conservation, protection and sustainable tourism development.
Observation of butterflies and insects
Guided birdwatching and wildlife watching tours (including butterflies and insects) are also available on a much smaller scale, using marked hiking trails or short, circular routes around some mountain passes or areas of interest for birdwatching.
Specialized agencies and butterfly watching tourism companies accredited with the Soy Ecoturista brand:
-AVESHIDE/WILD SPAIN TRAVEL
- BIRDING RIAÑO
Nature photography
In the Riaño Mountains there is one of the most developed sets of "hides" or photographic hides that offer the greatest number of opportunities for wildlife photography enthusiasts in the country . Photography from "hides" is based on the installation of small observation huts, generally equipped with mirrored glass that reflects the landscape from the outside and allows a clear view of the environment from the inside. Associated with wildlife feeders, these observatories allow close observation of the fauna and the obtaining of quality photographs, this being a growing activity with an important international audience.
In addition to photography from "hide", photography excursions are also organized in the Riaño Mountains for high mountain birds or mammals such as deer (during the rutting season), chamois and mountain goats. In these excursions the photography is done by stalking using temporary hides of cloth or camouflage nets, or without any method of concealment when the situation or the species allows it.
Advice: It doesn't matter if you are looking for close-up photography, micro photography, photographic hunting, nor the level or skill of your abilities since in our territory you will be able to practice as long as you want and at any time of the year since the diversity of landscapes and habitats that can be observed in any of its seasons will make you get spectacular snapshots.
Specialized agencies and photographic tourism companies accredited with the Soy Ecoturista brand:
- WILDWATCHING SPAIN
-AVESHIDE/WILD SPAIN TRAVEL
- BIRDING RIAÑO