Hiking and birdwatching in Monfragüe National Park
- Mark Eveleigh
- Mar 11
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 25
As I followed the dusty trail up to the old Moorish castle of Monfragüe I realised what a fantastic strategic position this must have been for the Muslim conquerors who aimed to dominate the great Rio Tajo. And Parque Nacional de Monfragüe is still a favourite haven for visitors from North Africa. In addition to hundreds of endemic Spanish birds, the craggy riverbanks and sprawling woodlands that make up the park are homes to dozens of migrant African species. Egyptian vultures and black storks share the thermals with Spanish imperial eagles and golden eagles. Hoopoes, bee-eaters and rollers build their nests alongside azure-winged magpies and choughs on the dehesa. The park is home to Europe's largest concentration of black vultures and is considered to be the best spot for watching raptors in the entire country.
The dehesa - an iconic Extremaduran biome - has been recognised as one of Europe's most important habitats for biodiversity. For centuries areas like this have provided acorns, firewood, cork and charcoal for the local population while simultaneously offering perfect forage and shade for their semi-wild Iberian pigs.
Despite having a reputation as one of the best bird-watching venues in Spain, Parque Nacional de Monfragüe is one of the country's least visited wildernesses. Otters patrol the tributaries of the Tajo and, in the remoter areas of the park, visitors can catch sight of wild boar, mongoose, fox, genet, wild cat, deer and, occasionally, some of the last wild Iberian lynx. Autumn is the most memorable time to visit, when the woodland reverberates to the rutting bellows of red deer stags.
Villarreal de San Carlos (3km to the north of Monfragüe Castle) is an ideal base from which to explore the park but Torrejón el Rubio (just a little farther to the south of the Castle) has more accommodation options. Public transport is almost non-existent so if you don't have a hire car it can be best to book a tour. If you do have your own wheels, however, Mirador Salto del Gitano ('Leap of the Gypsy') is a great place to start your exploration. There's a parking area just over a kilometre to the southeast and from there it's an easy stroll (less than a kilometre) up to the 9th century Moorish ruin of Castillo de Monfragüe. From this strategic position you can get a stork's-eye view of the entire area and plan further exploration.
Birding Extremadura - http://www.birdingextremadura.com/ - run excellent trips and tours through the region, including Monfragüe.