Walking Holidays in Spain - Frontier Holidays

About Frontier's Walking Holidays in Spain

Frontier Holidays has grown from my love of exploring the Spanish countryside.

With my treks around Spain, and as a fluent speaker of castellano I am in constant touch with the evolving rural tourism trade and those that are at the forefront in planning and implementing new routes and holiday destinations. When I find folk who have a real passion for their area, and are knowledgeable about the history, flora and fauna of their corner of Spain, I try as hard as possible, not only to set up an itinerary there, but also to include them as local guides. In this way not only myself but all Frontier clients, can benefit from an insider's view, thereby enriching the holiday experience.

Callum Christie - Director

Callum Christie of Frontier Holidays
FRONTIER FAMILY

Frontier Holidays was established in 2001 by Callum Christie and since then its portfolio of Nature Park walking and long-distance routes has steadily increased to include several unspoilt areas of natural beauty, including many in Spain beyond the Andalucian frontier.

Having lived most of his adult life in Spain, Callum has a special empathy with the landscape, its people and their culture. Over the years he’s built up a wealth of knowledge of Iberian flora and fauna; and thanks to a talent for discovering networks of lost paths, manages to avoid the most trampled zones. All this, according to clients, enriches their enjoyment of the landscape and Frontier has been delighted to welcome back walkers for their 6th and 7th adventures with us.

OPERATION AND LOCATION

At Frontier Holidays we strive to put together value for money holidays; bringing small groups who enjoy hiking or trekking holidays to the lesser known parts of Europe’s most popular holiday destination. We avoid the over-exposed centres, believing that nature can best be appreciated away from the hordes, and hope to present a flavour of authentic Spain. Additionally, our daily walks are enriched by an insight into the shaping of the land and its natural history.

With over 20 years of working in Spain, Callum is well equipped to research, negotiate and organise rewarding holidays at prices the bigger operators can’t begin to match. All the accommodation is chosen according to the comfort and friendliness, not to mention the good food and wine, encountered in each area.

Recently several new holiday types have been added to the portfolio. From Short Breaks to Family Adventures, Callum is still keen to take you to areas that are off the beaten track so that you get a sense of discovering an area for yourself.

With so many walking routes known to Callum, it seemed the logical step to share them with clients on a self guided or independent basis. Even though you have extensive walking notes and route maps, you'll still get a feel of discovering an area for yourself.

Always looking for new walks and unspoilt areas to add to the portfolio, it’s an ambition to bring you back to explore more of Spain with Frontier Holidays each year.

Take at look at what our customers are saying about Frontier's service !

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Nature Diary: Cazorla Nature Park

Walking in Cazorla Nature Park in Spain.

“I'll never forget the day, a bitterly cold January morning, puffing up a frozen logging track in the northern andalucian Cazorla Nature Park with my friend Ian Hassell. We were climbing to a limestone plateau known as Poyos de la Mesa, as we surveyed the park for potential walking routes. Icicles several feet long hung from the rock face that overshadowed our way.

We turned round to take in a stunning view across the upper Guadalquivir basin, with jagged limestone pinnacles piercing through a blanket of towering Black Pines. As we marvelled at the still-life freezing panorama, it suddenly came alive as a Griffon Vulture swooped into a nearby cliff ledge with a freshly harvested young pine branch with which to make its nest more comfortable.

Griffons nest in colonies on inaccessible rock faces, and are already hatching on average two eggs by late January. Even though winter would seem a difficult season in which to raise young chicks, it is all about feeding them. The Sierras of Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas are prone to some of the harshest invernal conditions in Spain. The Park is jammed full of game in the form of Ibex, Moufflon, Boar, Red and Fallow Deer all of which bring in a valuable source of income from the hunting fraternity. Heavy snow drifts always take their toll, and as the snow melts, hundreds of game cadavers come to light, providing essential carrion for the vultures to feed their chicks with.

A few years later, I was lucky enough to be leading a group of clients on a hiking holiday in late March using the town of Cazorla as our base. After a particularly heavy winter, there was a lot of snow still on the ground. As we walked round a bend in the track following the headwaters of the Rio Borosa, through an ever deepening valley, we came across a group of large birds feeding off the carcass of a young Roe deer. First up into the air from this narrow cutting was a Golden Eagle. This was a great surprise to me as I wouldn't have expected it to be mixing with a dozen Griffons, but obviously hunger was the greater enemy. It was also the first time I had seen a Golden Eagle eating carrion, albeit freshly defrosted.

The eagle rose quickly up through the pines in ever increasing circles once it topped the forest canopy. However for the Griffons it was quite a different story. Whilst alarmed by our presence they were unable to take off in a similar fashion to the eagle. Having gorged themselves, they were too heavy to lift off. Instead we witnessed a hopping display the likes I have never seen since. Bounding a metre or two at a time the vultures gradually,over the space of a few minutes, made their way up the steep rocky slabs on either side of the river valley. On reaching a height above the tops of the nearest pines, one by one they took to the air in a much belaboured fashion, flapping slowly, narrowly missing making contact with the upper branches of the pines.

As the group slowly started to circle and rise, the Golden Eagle was already just a speck in the sky.” Callum Christie

For info on our Cazorla Holiday - click here.