Rewilding Week Iberian Highlands (7 days)

A seven-day immersive experience inside the rewilding projects of the Southern Iberian System.

Iberian Highlands
Spain
Duration
7days
Difficulty
Easy to Moderate - Suitable for all fitness levels.
Group
Max 10 people
Age
All ages
Language
English, Spanish

Rewilding Week Iberian Highlands (7 days)

A seven-day immersive experience inside the rewilding projects of the Southern Iberian System.

What better way to discover rewilding than by living it directly?

What does it look like when nature starts taking back the land it lost?

In the Iberian Highlands — one of the least populated corners of Europe — wild horses are restoring fire-scarred dehesas. European bison are reshaping forest floors for the first time in centuries.

This week you won't just visit — you'll walk into these places, work alongside the people running them, and understand from the inside what rewilding actually means on the ground.

Seven days with small groups, expert guides, and the Rewilding Spain team. Tauros cattle grazing land that burned twenty years ago. Mature forests where dead wood feeds life. Camera traps near the Przewalski horses — and an afternoon watching what they caught. A European bison in El Recuenco. And on the last night, one of the darkest skies on the continent with a glass of local wine.

No background in conservation needed. The week builds that knowledge day by day — through direct experience, not lectures.

Itinerary

DAY 1 — Arrival and Welcome Afternoon: Arrive at the meeting point, meet your guides, and settle in. Evening: Welcome talk on the Rewilding Spain project, followed by dinner and your first look at the night sky. DAY 2 — Dehesa de Solanillos: Fire, Recovery, and Horses Morning: Visit Dehesa de Solanillos to see post-fire recovery driven by Tauros cattle and Serrano horses. Shadow rangers on their daily routines. Mid-day: Walk through a working resin pine forest to learn about traditional resin tapping, followed by a countryside picnic. Afternoon: Visit the quiet village of Cobeta and observe the hardy Pottoka horses aiding landscape restoration. DAY 3 — Mature Forests, Oak Planting, and River Source Morning: Guided hike through ancient woodland to study biodiversity (including wood-boring beetles), followed by planting oak saplings. Lunch: Local restaurant in Vega del Codorno. Afternoon: Visit the source of the Cuervo River, the crucial headwater for several of Spain’s major rivers. DAY 4 — Przewalski Horses, Hidden Lagoon, and Camera Traps Morning: Track wild Przewalski horses at Dehesa de Villanueva de Alcorón and retrieve wildlife camera traps. Stop by La Balsa, an accidental lagoon now thriving with waterbirds. Lunch: Local bar in El Recuenco. Afternoon: Return to the hotel for a group review of the camera trap footage to analyze secret wildlife interactions! DAY 5 — European Bison and Stargazing in Zaorejas Morning: Tour the bison reintroduction project at El Recuenco to learn how European bison ecologically reshape the landscape. Lunch & Afternoon: Local bar lunch, followed by free time to rest or explore. Evening: Stargazing at the Zaorejas viewpoint under pristine skies, featuring local wines, teas, and craft beers. DAY 6 — Tajo Canyon: The Landscape Below Morning: Full morning hike through the dramatic Tajo Canyon, passing iconic viewpoints. Lunch: Specially prepared mycological (mushroom) set menu at a forest restaurant. Afternoon: Free time to relax at the hotel or take a quiet solo walk. DAY 7 — Goodbye Morning: Final breakfast together, a group reflection on the week's rewilding experiences, and departure.

What's Included?

- 6 nights accommodation - All meals as per programme (lunches and dinners indicated) - Expert local guides throughout the week - Rewilding Spain team accompaniment on relevant days - Stargazing session with drinks at Zaorejas viewpoint - Camera trap collection and review session - Volunteer tree-planting activity - Activity insurance - Small group experience

What to Bring

- Comfortable walking boots or hiking shoes - Weather-appropriate clothing - Small backpack for day trips

Food & Stay

Hotel Peñarrubia in Zaorejas will be our home base. Centrally located right in the heart of the Alto Tajo Natural Park, it will be our refuge for the week.

How your experience helps rewilding efforts

In an area where depopulation is a big problem, your trip makes a direct difference. We only work with local partners. This means your entire experience—from the travel agency and the restaurant to the guides and your lodging—comes from the region itself. This helps change the economic model and proves that nature-based tourism benefits everyone. Through guided tours and expert explanations, you become a rewilding ambassador. You'll share what you've learned and support conservation long after you go home. By choosing local businesses, your visit helps create a stable income for communities. This encourages them to actively support conservation efforts. Your participation shows that wildlife and natural landscapes have real economic value, giving local people a sustainable alternative to traditional activities that might harm the environment.

Iberian Highlands - Rewilding Tourism - SPAIN
Rewilding landscape
Rewilding vision

Iberian Highlands | Spain

The removal of dams and artificial barriers is restoring the natural flow of rivers and streams across the Iberian Highlands. This is revitalising aquatic ecosystems, allowing fish and other freshwater species to move freely and regain their abundance.

This experience involves

  • Hiking
  • Wildlife photography
  • Gastronomy (local)
  • Educational experience
  • Volunteering
  • Dark skies & stargazing

Wildlife in this landscapePlease note that the presence of wildlife doesn’t guarantee sightings — these animals live freely and may remain out of view.

Herbivores in this landscape

  • European bison
  • Tauros
  • Wild horse
  • Iberian ibex
  • Red deer
  • Fallow deer
  • Roe deer
  • European rabbit

Carnivores in this landscape

  • Wildcat

Scavengers and other large birds in this landscape

  • Cinereous vulture
  • Griffon vulture
  • Egyptian vulture
  • Bearded vulture
  • Golden eagle
  • Imperial eagle
  • Bonelli’s eagle
  • Eagle owl

Fish/crayfish/molluscs in this landscape

  • Trout

Location

About the listing author

El Observario
El Observario

Have questions? Feel free to ask!

Please note: translations are generated automatically and may contain errors.

Please note: translations are generated automatically and may contain errors.