Lammergeier viewing — Mallos de Riglos area

About this spectacle

The Mallos de Riglos are dramatic conglomerate rock towers rising abruptly from the Pyrenean foothills of Aragón, Spain. These vertical walls serve as a crucial nesting stronghold for the Bearded Vulture, or Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus), one of Europe's rarest and most spectacular raptors. Visitors scanning the thermals above the orange-red pillars are rewarded with sightings of this enormous bird — wingspan stretching up to 2.8 metres — as it soars effortlessly, sometimes dropping bones onto the rocks below to extract marrow. The contrast of rust-coloured cliffs against a pale sky, with Egyptian and Griffon Vultures also circling overhead, creates a layered spectacle. Dawn and mid-morning hours offer the best thermal activity. The village of Riglos sits at the base, providing natural viewpoints with little effort. In late winter and early spring, courtship displays and nest activity increase sightings dramatically. The silence of the gorge, broken only by wingbeats and wind, makes this one of Spain's most moving wildlife encounters.

When to go

Jan — Dec, peak Jan — Apr

Getting there

Nearest airport: ZAZ. Nearest city: Huesca.

Booking options

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