Iberian
Lynx
Safari
Introduction
The Iberian lynx is one of Europe’s most beautiful and charismatic predators. Once pushed frighteningly close to extinction, it has become one of Spain’s great conservation success stories, with populations recovering thanks to a remarkable rewilding programme. Yet seeing one is still special — and getting great photographs can be another matter entirely!
I’ve travelled to Spain many times to photograph Iberian lynx and, like most photographers, have had decidedly mixed success. That changed when I discovered this fantastic new location. My first two visits produced superb encounters and convinced me that this was somewhere I wanted to bring clients. Our first three tours have already sold out, so I’m delighted to introduce these new dedicated Iberian Lynx Photo Workshop dates.
All photography is from specially positioned hides in an area regularly used by several lynx families. We shoot through high-quality non-reflective glass, with the possibility of getting down to a wonderfully intimate low angle. The lynx come here naturally as part of their daily routine, giving us opportunities to photograph them drinking, resting, posing and hunting. With patience and a little luck, we may even get to watch kittens playing — something very high on everyone’s wish list!
These are wild animals and there are never guarantees, which for me is part of the magic. This workshop will particularly suit patient wildlife photographers, naturalists and, frankly, anyone who just loves being around animals. Iberian lynx are amazingly beautiful cats and simply spending time watching their behaviour is a privilege.
The tour is limited to just three photographers, I could pack the hides like others do but this a) reduces the exclusive service and help I give to my clients and b) has several disadvantages that will become apparent when we are there. With 3 clients I can do so much more… which is better for you.
Everything is taken care of from the moment we meet in Madrid. All ground transport, accommodation and meals are included, making this a complete land package with no logistical headaches. As with all my tours, your booking is also fully protected by my TTA bonding, giving you complete peace of mind.
The Hides
The location has been designed with photography in mind, both in terms of the backdrop locations ( one rock and forest, the other more grassland ) and two excellent photo hides in territories for two different Iberian Lynx families. Both hides have been built by pro photographers and are adapted just for this purpose
The hides are on two different natural areas, with a mix of low angle and normal shooting through one way photo glass. Each hide takes 4 people easily and have 3 low angle windows (the middle one is double width to share so anyone coming must be willing to share).
There is a drinking pond in front of one and both are monitored by the local guides via alert based CCTV for activity, if one has more then clients are transferred into this hide so it will work well. Distance shooting is from 8cm (yes you read that right) and upwards, so anyone with a decent lens here will be ok.
Please note that there are no toilet facilities in the hides. Each tour will be 3 days with 2 hide sessions per day. The amount of time varies between sessions, in summer and autumn we go back to the hotel to relax, in winter and early spring we hang out at the estate's lounge area (we can take a packed lunch and they have toilets!).
Available Workshops
We run Lynx workshops at various times of the year as there is literally no bad time for the Lynx - although in the extreme heat of summer it’s bad for the photographers! Here’s the current tours that we have with availability…
Sept 26 -30 2027
2 places available
The time for Lynx kittens to make an appearance if we have the families around. Born in late May, they will be exceptionally cute by this age and bold. The temperatures will have reduced from the fiery summer heat. Expect 30C max in the hides late afternoon, cool with a layer in the mornings. Obviously adults will be very active too at this time if the cubs decide to be shy but you have to be in it to win it. Backdrops and grasses should have some nice colour too.
As we said above this is an exclusive tour with our 3 clients in our hide with me.
£2695 per person
October 10 - 14 2027
Fully Booked
The time for Lynx kittens to make an appearance if we have the families around. Born in late May, they will be exceptionally cute by this age and bold. The temperatures will have reduced from the fiery summer heat. Expect 25C max in the hides late afternoon, cool with a layer in the mornings. Obviously adults will be very active too at this time if the cubs decide to be shy but you have to be in it to win it. Backdrops and grasses should have some nice colour too.
As we said above this is an exclusive tour with our 3 clients in our hide with me.
£2695 per person
Travel Trust Association
Now we know that there are a lot of people out there offering photographic tours, however rest assured that this safari is backed by the Travel Trust Association (TTA). The TTA is an independent trade organisation of tour operators that we are proud members of. The TTA provides guarantees for your booking with us in two forms.
The first is that all monies are deposited to a trustee managed trust bank account and any payments to / from them have to be authorised at several levels. So you are not paying into a photographers personal or business bank account but that of a professionally managed trade organisation with your security at heart.
Secondly your booking is protected by the TTA Safe Seat Plan and Supplier Failure
Cover, both of which are insurance policies to protect your money from fraud and
supplier failure.
We include the costs of these policies automatically in your booking fee,
so that you can have total financial confidence in us, and your booking with
us, as a trusted and reputable tour operator.
Further details of our TTA membership can be found by clicking here.
Essential Information
This is going to be a fantastic ride with the Lynx and I hope that you will come with me on it. To make things easier for you we have included all transport and accommodation costs into the tour so you literally just have to turn up at the airport and enjoy yourself with Lynx pictures!
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Ther same for every tour…
Day 1 - Arrival in Spain, transfer to team hotel
Days 2, 3, 4 - Lynx photography sessions, 2 per day
Day 5 - departure for flight home
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For this tour we are including accommodation and transport to make it all easier for you.
The accommodation is a very nice country house hotel with just 6 rooms that is just 10 minutes drive from the hides. It has a good mix of single and double rooms. The stay is on a full board basis with a packed lunch for flexibility and a lovely owner who is supporting the project. We love staying here as the food is great and the owners are very cool and friendly - plus they have friendly woofers! They can cater for vegan and vegetarian diets as long as we know in advance, the food is very traditionally Spanish!
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I will be hiring a large car for us to save you the hassle so you will have no additional transport costs. All guiding services are included. So you can see we have included a lot!!!
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all alcoholic drinks that you buy for yourself and me, tips for local guides and international flights.
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We will let you know about these requirements after booking but we will either route in and out of Madrid or Seville, Spain. We will know more once the airlines announce their schedules for next year (354 days ahead of flight).
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Easy!
Early breakfast, morning hide session, lunch, sleep, afternoon / evening hide session, dinner, bed!
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The temperature will be around 14C -18C at night and will rise to a maximum of 30C during the day for September, 25C for October and April. it will be cosy and warm in the hide.
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There is no excessive physical effort for this tour as we will be dropped 150m from the hides. But you must be VERY patient, able to sit quietly without fidgeting or talking for long periods of time and to understand that you are dealing with one of the most elusive animals in Europe! So please manage those expectations (see below)
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So we will have exclusive access to one of the hides for my group, we will not share. There may be other photographers in the other hides, a max of 1 or 2, and sometimes there will be none.
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The price for these tours are £2695 per person (flights to Madrid are approx £250 in pond life class). Payment will be immediate in full once the tour is full to our bonded trust account.
Don’t forget this price includes everything so it’s a good deal!
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For all tours payment will be immediate.
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Our cancellation policies are strict and come from experience. We operate a non refundable policy to protect the other clients on the tour. This applies to both deposit and balance. Therefore it is a requirement of booking that you take out comprehensive travel insurance to cover all eventualities. By booking this safari you agree to these conditions and no discussion will be entered into. If we postpone then your payment will be held over for a replacement safari at a later date or you will of course be entitled to a full refund. If you have to cancel then we will provide you will all the necessary documents for an insurance claim. In some instances it may be possible to fill your place at short notice, at which point you will receive a partial refund of monies paid, but this very much depends on the time of the cancellation and not guarantees can be made.
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It's important to manage all expectations and I am always totally honest!
Lynx are not easy and they are not going to come and sit in front of the hide all day everyday. The chance each day is around 80%. They can stay for 5 seconds or 2 hours. They can come and go. It can be cloudy. It can rain. They can sit behind rocks / grass and hide from you. There can be 3 kittens and they will stay behind a bush all the time. They can be no kittens. So please do not come with false expectations. If I did not think we had a great chance of seeing and photographing Lynx I would not take you there, but chance is a strange thing!
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A full list of our terms and conditions can be found by clicking here.
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As I write this the Lynx are the only show in town BUT the estate has great plans for more hides for Spanish Imperial Eagles, Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, owls and all kinds of things. Therefore it maybe that by the time we travel we will spend some time in these hides in the late afternoons, and reserve the mornings and the 1 hour before sunset for the Lynx. There may be a small additional charge for these hides, this will be offered to you as soon as we know anything.
