Montes Norte – a video documentary

Oretani Wildlife is based in a village called Picón in an area called Montes, which is a comarca, or region of Ciudad Real made up of a few small towns and pueblos or villages. Known formally as Montes, the area has set up an association between the towns and villages under the umbrella name of Montes Norte, which means the Northern Mountains and is basically the area of hills and mountains in the northwestern part of Ciudad Real province. The region is delimited in the north by the Mountains of Toledo, the south by the Campo de Calatrava and Alcudia regions and just touches the la Mancha region to the east.

Rio Bullaque at El Torno

This small region has a lot to offer. That is why Oretani Wildlife has chosen Montes Norte as its base area, not that we restrict ourselves to just this area exclusively though. Not only has the area of Montes Norte got beautiful hills, mountains and valleys, dehesas and volcanic areas but boasts one of the most unspoilt National Parks in Spain, Cabañeros. Why go so far afield when you have wetlands, bogs (believe it or not), mountains with pine and birch forests, volcanoes, a National Park and a richness of wildlife. It is criss-crossed by many rivers, the two main ones being the Guadiana and the Bullaque. It is an area of interest for the endangered Iberian Lynx, has the largest black vulture breeding colony in Europe, and is home to a large population of Spanish Imperial Eagles amongst many other avian delights. It has a pace of life that moves with the seasons as only a small “off the beaten path” region can. It remains largely undiscovered offering a potential for a more relaxed and private tourism than many of the other more famous places offer, where you may find yourself jostled by others.

The Volcan de la Posadilla, Valverde.

Just before last summer, the association that helps to promote Montes Norte, funded the making of a small documentary about the region touching on subjects such as the nature, lifestyle and tourism of the region through the eyes of those who live in it. I was asked to take part to speak of the wildlife tourism potential, as that is the area I’m involved in with my company Oretani Wildlife. Professors of the geography department from the University of Castilla la Mancha (Ciudad Real) spoke about the volcanic and wetland areas and how they need preservation and the richness of habitat they provide. There was a part about the eco-tourism on the River Bullaque and the outdoor activities on offer with Javi from Brezotur and also an interesting bit about women in the area who are in business, taking the example of Fuentillezjos sheep cheese farm where they make some of the famous Manchegan cheese between the banks of the Guadiana and the Posadilla volcano.

The video embedded in this blog is the result of that documentary. It may be in Spanish only, but I think you will get an idea of the beauty of the region, and the passion the people who live there have for it. We live in it, we love it, we know you will love it too.

Join us for our guided birding, wildlife and butterfly tours in Montes Norte and Castilla La Mancha, in central Spain with Oretani Wildlife.