Welcome to The Wildside Holidays Natural Park and Wildlife Information Pages
We are going to be doing some re organisation over the next few weeks and some pages might be un available for a while and the site may look a bit mixed up... All for the best though... In the meantime why not join in at the iberianature forum or find a great nature holiday in Spain or Portugal at www.wildsideholidays.com
Many of the nature activity holiday companies who advertise on the Wildside Holidays main web sitealso appear here in the form of small banners positioned on the relevant pages...Click on the banners to read more about that company, then contact them directly to organise your trip! This is the best place to find a nature holiday in Spain or a nature holiday in Portugal.
The right hand column diplays the latest articles and offers by specific nature and activity holiday companies in Spain and Portugal, these companies also appear in detail on the main pages at Wildside Holidays.
To find out about Iberian wildlife use the links to the left or there are links above divided into various types of wildlife, for natural parks click the region on the map below. If you are looking for something specific then use the search system. You can use a term like "yellow flower" or "green lizard" as we have added search terms to all the articles.
If you are looking for books and guideson birds, plants, general nature and history or are visiting / living in either Spain or Portugal then make sure to check out ourbook shop.
Below are the latest articles we have written about the wildlife, nature parks, protected monuments and general natural history of Iberia. Please feel free to leave a comment or ask a question.
There are large, virtually all back bees which visit flowering plants and shrubs throughout the spring and summer, their scientific name is Xylocopa violacea. The later part of this name derives from the beautiful purple / blue sheen seen on the wings as they catch the sunlight. These black bees are common in central and southern Europe.
Do not be alarmed by their size of up to 23mm, they are not aggressive and will simply go about their business of collecting nectar from flowers, choosing to fly away from people. The male does not have the ability to sting. The males will chase other males in competition as well as females that they wish to mate. At this time they can be noisy, crashing into walls, windows etc. If caught and handled or accidentally trapped in clothing the female may sting as a means of self defence.
The red deer is a mammal with a fragmented distribution throughout much of Europe, Asia and North America. The 27 or so subspecies have each developed different characteristics. In Iberia there is a subspecies, Cervus elaphus hispanicus, which has a smaller head, more grey colouring and finer dimensions than in Central European variations. The size varies within Iberia depending on genetics and food availability. The males can be 90 y 120 cm at the shoulder with an overall length of 160 y 220 cm, the females are smaller.
This is a very large solitary wasp, the female reaching up to 4.5cm whereas the male is a little smaller. This species appears in warm weather during late May, June, July and August. They hold no danger to humans despite their size and black / yellow warning colours. They feed eagerly on flower nectar and this is the best time to view them.
These are carnivorous insects that rest on plants while they await their prey. The size, colour and shape can vary greatly between species through their virtually world wide distribution, which consists of more than 1800 species.
Within Iberia there are 15 species on the mainland with another on the Canary Islands. The green, brown or grey body colouring that we see in these European species allows them to hide undetected amongst shrubs or grasses. During their early growth stages they shed their outgrown exoskeleton and at this time can take on the colour of the surrounding vegetation i.e. brown for dried grasses or green for lush plants. They will only feed on active prey and have well developed senses to locate a promising meal. An ability to turn their heads to view 300º is unusual amongst insects. Large compound eyes set on a triangular head is a common trait amongst the differing types. Alert to both food and danger they mostly rely on their mimicry to give them cover.
The map below is clickable by region and you can find out more about the natural parks in each region from here or from the links in the region list in the left column
A little bit about Iberia
The Iberian peninsular forms the western most part of Europe. It is separated into two countries, Spain covering 80% of the peninsular and Portugal 20%. Bordering countries are France and Andorra at the Pyrenees and the Rock of Gibraltar at the southern tip.
The Atlantic Ocean washes the shores of the northern and western coasts with the Mediterranean Sea forming the southern and eastern limits. These two waters have very different influences over the climate. The complete coastline of Iberia is approximately 6,757km long(Excluding island territories). The northern regions are known to be more verdant because the Atlantic creates a cooler, moister atmosphere, with mild winters and regular summer precipitation. The Mediterranean regions in the south have hotter summers with frequent drought periods. Heavy rain may arrive in autumn, winter, spring or some years just sporadic showers that do little to refill the aquifers.
Mountain regions further dissect Spain and add climatic influences due to their altitude. Nearly a quarter of Spain is above 1000 m and three quarters between 500 and 1000 m with an average altitude of 660 metres. There are glacial lakes in the Pyrenees, the Cantabrian range in the north and at Sierra Nevada in the south. These harbour alpine plants, with each range having its own endemic species. The slopes may have beech and pine forests with mixed oaks in common with many European forests, the latter, wild olive, Holm’s oaks, gall oaks, native maple acer granatense and the Montpellier maple form the main species.
The highest point of Portugal is in the Serra da Estrela which lies to the north of the river Tagus (Rio Tejo). The Tagus is the largest river of Portugal and flows into the Atlantic at Lisbon, it divides the humid and mountainous north from the flatter and dryer south. The river Guadiana forms the southern most border with Spain and the river Douro has its estuary at Oporto. Pines, oaks, poplars and elm trees dominate the northern parts whereas cultivated citrus and cork oak trees are prevalent in the central and southern areas.
There are many fast flowing rivers in the northern regions of Spain that open into the Atlantic. Those that run into the Mediterranean are slow moving in general or seasonally dry with occasional floods. The largest rivers are the Tajo and the Duero which both cross into Portugal, the Ebro which drops into the Mediterranean and the Guadalquivir which travels west into the Atlantic. More than 1,500 wetlands, inland and coastal, create important habitats. Whether they are salt lagoons, seasonal small depressions or fresh water marshlands of extreme proportions, each holds its own species of flora and fauna.
This high diversity of climate and relief are a wonderful feature and they allow for a mosaic of forest, wetland, coastal dunes, steppe, heath and the only European desert, the Tabernas in south eastern Spain. This, along with the geological position, helps account for the 1,500 plants that are endemic to Spain with a further 500 shared with North Africa. Spain is also an important migrational route for many European bird species. Around 450 different species of birds are listed with 285 breeding. The Canary Islands which are situated near the African coast are formed of volcanic rock. Their climate and habitats are unique and therefore add a different aspect as an autonomous region of Spain.
The Spanish capital of Madrid holds the largest population with more than 5 million occupants in the city and suburbs. The second largest city is Barcelona with Valencia, Sevilla and Malaga in descending order. It is interesting to note that only 30% of the population lives in rural areas which in turn cover 90% of the country. It is down to the fact that Spain has so many wild areas that small populations of wolves, bears and lynx have survived. They have been persecuted up to the recent past but action is now being taken to protect and expand their numbers.
The highest population in Portugal is in the Capital city of Lisbonand its metropolitan area with 2.8 million inhabitants and the second largest population is in Oporto with Vila Nova de Gaia and Amardora following. Around two thirds of the population live in the coastal areas.
Also belonging to Portugal are two island groups located in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: The archipelago of the Azores is almost 1500 km west of Lisbon. The area consists of nine islands. As well as the archipelago of Madeira which is 964 Kms southwest of Lisbon, it is much smaller than the Azores and consists of eight larger islands and a few small islets.
