Birdsong and Music Walking Tours
Hoopoes, Golden Orioles, Griffon Vultures, Nightingales...
Join Peter and Liz Cowdrey at Finca Buenvino, the magical home of Sam and Jeannie Chesterton, for a week in the rolling Sierra de Aracena in North West Andalucía. Eagles, kites and vultures soar overhead and bee-eaters, hoopoes and four species of woodpecker flutter through cork oaks and olive groves. Stunning, unspoilt villages host white storks on whitewashed churches.
We walk along ancient paths, passing through farms where iberian black pigs forage under old oak trees, and through wild valleys with fast running streams. There is a great variety of birdsong, including wryneck, golden oriole, hoopoe and blue rock thrush with iberian chiffchaff, sardinian warbler, subalpine warbler, and crested and thekla larks. Birds of prey include short-toed and booted eagles and griffon and black vultures; with a bit of luck we will see black storks as well as the ubiquitous whites. Click here for a list of birds found within the boundaries of Finca Buenvino itself. Wild flowers are spectacular in Spring, with a spectacular display of endemic Iberian Peonies. The weather is usually wonderful; here is a link to weather statistics for Aracena.
Each evening Peter and Liz perform a short serenade of music for violin and piano, accompanied by tapas on the terrace and sometimes by distant nightingales. Repertoire covers baroque, gypsy, classical, Spanish, and Peter and Liz's own transcriptions of birdsongs. Dinners are fuelled by Sam and Jeannie's delicious cordon bleu cuisine and encyclopedic knowledge of the area, where they have lived for more than 30 years.
This holiday is not designed for 'twitchers' - it's for anyone interested in the beauty of Andalucia - the wild flowers, ancient villages, culture and traditions. We experience all this with a birdsong and music bias, great food and plenty of wine. Walks are comfortable half day excursions on good paths through the hills, with variations available for the more or less energetic.
The cost for the 6 night stay, full board including wine, local transport, guided walks and evening serenades is £1000 in a shared room, or £1150 for a single room. For greater privacy it may also be possible to hire a cottage on the estate, prices on application..
Finca Buenvino provide one pick up and one drop off in Seville per week. It is also possible to hire a car and make your own way to the Finca. Seville Airport is about 75 minutes away, and Faro 2 hours.
For more information about prices, menus and accommodation and to book please call Sam Chesterton on +34 959 124034 or e-mail sam@fincabuenvino.com.
Client Reviews
“Finca Buenvino was like a dream wasn't it? The whole event was a glorious spoiling bubble in the midst of real life."
“Really, we just couldn't have had a better time. We loved it all from the breakfasts, to the lunches, to the music, to the little white villages and the glorious hacienda. And especially meeting Sam and Jeannie”.
“...they had the most magical time with you in Finca Buenvino...you worked so hard to make sure that everybody had a wonderful time – and clearly they did!”
Walking in the hills.
A spontaneous jump into a wilderness river...
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Quail's eggs and home-made black pudding.
The infinity pool.
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