Wolf Route

Discover the true purity of the Iberian wolf in its habitat

“Come to the limits of Somiedo to meet the wolf in a different way.”

Hi, I’m Sofía, I was born into a family of transhumant cattle ranchers (vaqueiros) in Llamardal (Somiedo) and when I was a little girl, I already used to run through these mountains taking care of my family’s cattle.

My memories of the wolf, as a child, are not good. I first saw a wolf when I was 5 which made me have some nightmares afterwards.

Some people want us to believe that the wolf is the enemy, but as time goes by, I have discovered that the wolf and the cattlemen can perfectly coexist.

At Somiedo Experience we want you to discover the other side of the story of the wolf. Do you want to know the true purity of the Iberian wolf with us?

Wolf Route

Duration: 6 hours
Meeting point: Pola de Somiedo. Approximate start time 04:00h.
Price: 60 € (VAT included)

Book activity

What does this activity include?

Duration of 6 hours of activity

We will talk about the flora, fauna and behaviours of the wolf, together with other species.

1 local guide

During busy times several fellow guides will help us.

Small groups

We will organize groups of between 2 and 6 people so that you can enjoy a more personal and exclusive experience.

Optical materials

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

Accident insurance

Activity for over 14-year-olds

Price

Wolf route:

60 € (activity not suitable for children under 14).
Prices VAT included.

What is the activity about?

We will leave Pola de Somiedo 2 hours before sunrise. After a 1-hour drive, we get to the point where the walking route starts.
We will be trekking for an hour and a half, approximately, to the sighting point, where we will wait for 2 hours. The walk should be made in total SILENCE

After the waiting we will have a snack, chat about the experience, walk around the area looking for signs (excrement, footprints and traces) and finally, we will go back to the car interpreting what we can see on the road, while talking about the wolf.
You will learn about the life of the wolf and its behaviours.
You will enjoy such a breathtaking mountain landscape that you will immediately fall in love with it! Moreover, we will tell you about the natural resources of the area and about other species of fauna and flora that we will come across during the route.
You will learn about the wolves’ behaviours and their feeding habits in the Cantabrian Mountains and how some farmers have learned to live with them.
We will provide you with optical materials so that you can see the different species of wild animals much better (we never get to close to them to preserve their well-being).
You will feel you are “in the land of wolves”.

Those ones who know the wolf, already know that on the day of the activity we may not see it (man is still their greatest enemy and hiding is its only way to survive). This is the reality of wildlife watching.

Somiedo Experience can still guarantee you that you are going to be taken to an extraordinary wolf area, which we have previously studied and intensively observed.

Customer Experiences

Frequently asked questions about the activity

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

These types of experiences in nature are frequently 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 as the date of your excursion approaches *.

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

How many people can go in each group of the route of the wolf?

We usually organize small groups of between 2 and 6 people to make the experience much more personal.

Shortly before starting the route, we will meet the whole group in Pola de Somiedo (next to the pharmacy).

At that time, we will choose the most appropriate path for that day (depending on the weather) and we will accompany you with your cars * until the start of the route on foot.

Any vehicle is valid to go to the point where we will start the route on foot (we will 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.

Is the route of the wolf suitable for everybody?

On the route of the wolf, we will cross (at dawn) muddy roads and mountain paths with steep slopes to get closer (always from the distance and in a respectful way) to the locations where we will have the best chance of enjoying the sighting of wolves.

During this activity you will feel the experience of crossing the land of wolves and although the routes are of medium difficulty, we recommend that the groups be for people over 14 years old.

What do I have to bring on the day of the route?

Ideally, that day you should come with comfortable and appropriate clothing and hiking boots (essential) for walking on mountain trails.

The high mountain climate is unpredictable, so it is important to always wear warm clothing for the route (until August) (hat, gloves and down jacket).

Whenever possible, it is preferable to wear dark clothes so as not to attract attention and end up scaring away the fauna of the place.

For days with a forecast of rain, in addition to a raincoat it is important to bring an umbrella (to protect the optical materials).

And to enjoy the ride with energy, we recommend you bring plenty of water and high-caloric snacks.

How do I pay for the route?

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

The type of route or experience you want to live in Somiedo.
The date you want to go.
And the number of people who want to come (remember that we do small groups of between 2 and 6 people).

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

.