Bear Sighting

Sighting of the Cantabrian Brown Bear in the Natural Park of Somiedo

“A walk through our land of bears, for nature lovers”

Somiedo Experience is going to teach you the habits and behaviours of the brown bear in its natural habitat (Somiedo Natural Park) while you enjoy a walk through the most unusual and beautiful paths found in our land.

We also want you to become aware of the values of the Park, of how important the conservation efforts with which we collaborate are, as thanks to them, the Cantabrian brown bear has managed to survive in these mountains and increased its population for these last 30 years.

The good thing about life in Somiedo is that nothing can be planned. Everything we see will depend on the behaviour of the fauna and the weather of the moment, that’s why the routes will be different every day.

Are you coming to know this land of brown bears with us?

Attempted Bear Sighting and short route

Duration: 4 hours
Meeting point: Pola de Somiedo. Approximate time of departure 7:30h and 17:30h.
Price (Morning or Afternoon): 40 € (VAT included)
Price (Full day): 70 € (VAT included)

Book activity

What is it included in the activity?

A 4-hour activity

2 hours of interpretative route plus a wait.
We will reserve the early morning or late afternoon to attempt the sighting.

Attempted bear sighting

We will take you to the places where you are most likely to see a Brown Bear in the wild.

Interpretative route

We will talk about the habits of the Brown Bear and the species we meet along the way.

1 local guide

During the busy season we will be assisted by several fellow guides.

Small groups

We will organise groups of between 2 and 8 people to make the experience more personalised and exclusive.

Optical materials

Binoculars and spotting scopes will be provided and we will teach you how to use them.

Accident insurance

Suitable activity for everybody

Price

Interpretative route + bear watching (morning or afternoon):

40 € for 12 years and over.
20 € for children aged 8 to 12 years.
No children below 8 years old.
** Possibility of contracting full day route for 70 €.
Prices include VAT.

Schedules

Route and sighting in the morning:

Departure at 7:30 * in the morning from Pola de Somiedo..
We will attempt the sighting by conducting a “stakeout”.
We will take a short interpretative route through the area..

Route + sighting in the afternoon:

Departure at 17:30 * in the afternoon in Pola de Somiedo..
We will follow a short interpretative route until we reach the sighting site.
We will attempt a “stakeout” sighting.

* The departure time (depending on the sunrise or sunset) may vary depending on the season of the year. Somiedo Experience adapts to the rhythm set by the seasons of the year.

What are you going to learn?

You will learn about the life of the brown bear in Somiedo and we will show you how, thanks to conservation efforts, this species continues to inhabit our mountain.
You will enjoy a mountain landscape that will make you immediately fall in love with it while we tell you about the values of the park and about the species of fauna and flora that we will come across along the way
We will go to the points where you will have the best chance of spotting a brown bear (each day a different route will be planned depending on the weather and the behavior of the bear). We will carry out the bear sighting attempt at the beginning of the outing (in the early morning) or at the end of the interpretive route (in the evening). At dawn and dusk is when they are most active.
We will provide you with optical materials so that you can see it much better (we will never get too close to preserve its well-being).
You will experience what it is like to wait, patiently, on the neighboring slopes (at distances between 300 m and 2 km) and with the help of optical equipment while trying to spot the brown bear * and other species that inhabit Somiedo.

* The sighting of any animal in the wild cannot be guaranteed. It will always depend on their behavior and the weather of the day.

Curiosities of the Brown Bear

Due to their habits, during the day they are usually more difficult to spot. We will have more chances to see the brown bear in total freedom at sunrise and sunset (that’s why we organize the sighting attempt at sunrise or sunset)

Cantabrian brown bears focus their daily activity in less forested areas (where they are easier to spot) in spring (from April to June) and at the end of summer (from mid-August to mid-September). For this reason, we always recommend that you consult us about the possibilities of sighting the bear before coming to Somiedo

Brown bears like to eat acorns, chestnuts, beechnuts, berries or any other fruit they find in the subdued mountains and they are very curious and easily frightened. That is why, we will always try to spot the bear at a certain distance, respecting its environment and with the help of optical equipment.

Only 10 years ago, the Cantabrian brown bear was in serious danger of extinction and it was almost impossible to spot a specimen in Somiedo. Today, thanks to the work of several associations working side by side with the public administration, for the conservation of the bear and other native species, this species is recovering and, if you know its customs well, it can be easily seen.

Do you want to know more about the life and customs of the Cantabrian brown bear? Somiedo Experience will make your dreams come true!

Customer Experiences

Frequently asked questions about the activity

Can the sighting of the Cantabrian Brown Bear be guaranteed in your excursions in the mountains of Somiedo?

Luckily, the brown bears (and the rest of the fauna of the Somiedo Natural Park) live in total freedom. Obviously, sighting wild animals in their natural environment can never be 100% guaranteed (it will depend on their behaviour and the weather).

Somiedo Experience will show you their customs and their natural habitat, going to the places where you will have the best chance of seeing a brown bear in total freedom (always at a safe distance and respecting their well-being).

Before starting your adventure in Somiedo, we recommend you check the sighting calendar and contact us (sightings are closely linked to both the time of year and the weather at any given time).

What does “stakeout” mean?

Firstly, we will have “to wait” for a while to attempt the bear sighting.

We will look for a slope near the possible bear sighting point and we will wait for almost half the time that the activity lasts to try to spot the bear and other Somiedo species (always from a safe and respectful distance).

Somiedo Experience is authorized by the Somiedo Natural Park to observe brown bears.

If the weather is bad on my booked date, what alternatives do I have?

The weather for this type of experiences in nature is often unpredictable.

For years, the Somiedo Experience guides have known how to interpret the mountain climate and we tend to get the forecasts right, but a sudden north wind is enough for the fog to roll in and the adventure to be postponed.

Therefore, even if you book your route in advance, we will always give you the option to consult and postpone it when the date of your excursion approaches *.

* Once we have started the departure, we will not be able to cancel it.

How is the access to the beginning of the route on foot?

Normally we organize small groups of 8 people maximum, to make a more personal experience.

Shortly before starting the route, we meet the whole group in Pola de Somiedo (next to the pharmacy).
At that time, we choose the most appropriate path for that day (depending on the weather and the possibilities of bear sighting in the area) and we accompany you with your cars * until the start of the route on foot.

Any vehicle is valid to go to the point where we start the route on foot (we cross paved mountain roads).

* As it is a not very touristy area (Pola de Somiedo), in August you may have some difficulty finding parking for your vehicle.

How do I pay for the route?

You will only have to contact us (via email) to tell us:

The type of activity you want to do.
The date you want to go.
If you prefer in the morning or afternoon hours.
And the number of people who want to come (remember that we do small groups of between 2 and 8 people).

Payment can be made in advance (through a bank transfer) or on the day of the route through Somiedo (in cash)

* For reasons of bad weather or not achieving the sighting of the bear, the amount will not be refunded (since they are causes beyond our control).

Supporting the conservation of Somiedo

Somiedo Experience is a local active tourism company where we are authorised by the Somiedo Natural Park to carry out brown bear watching.

Sustainability Recognition System for Nature Tourism in the Natural Network 2000