DISCOVER THE NATURE OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL WITH WILDSIDE HOLIDAYS

An online portal providing in depth information about bespoke activity and nature-orientated holidays on the Iberian peninsula is proving to be a top destination for today’s astute traveller. Wildside Holidays has links to many of the finest independent companies and owner operators in some of Spain and Portugal’s best wildlife watching and activity eco-destinations. It is aimed at anyone looking to make their annual getaway more of an adventure rather than a ‘week on the Costas’.

Tired of tawdry tourist traps and impersonal package holidays, increasing numbers of people are looking for more authentic experiences with strong environmental credentials. Wildside Holidays gives visitors access to made-to-measure breaks – both guided and self led – off the beaten track in Spain and Portugal, with good links to local communities and great opportunities for wildlife watching.

The site hosts an online community of companies specialising in wildlife and activity holidays with accommodation in areas of outstanding natural beauty: from peaceful yurts in central Portugal and eco-lodges in the natural parks of the Alentejo, to activity-based breaks such as natural horsemanship on a Spanish ranch or snow-shoeing in the Picos de Europa.

A variety of guided tours and independent treks are also available, bypassing well trodden routes for the road less travelled, with flexible itineraries to adapt to all interests and abilities. Twitchers will love the range of professionally led bird watching tours, while those who want to get active this summer are spoilt for choice with everything from cycling and canoeing to rock climbing featured on the site.

Ideal for those who prefer to plan their holidays online but don’t want to trawl through search engines to find what they’re looking for, each holiday option is just one click away on Wildside Holidays – with many operators offering discounts and last minute deals through the site. Current concessions include £75 off a guided walking tour in the Pyrenees and a 12% discount on a week long horse-riding holiday, amongst other excellent offers from the community members.

Many of the holiday operators on the site are themselves involved in wildlife protection schemes and study programs, and the Wildside Holidays nature pages Wildside Holidays feature research and in-depth articles about the wildlife species and nature parks of Spain and Portugal. There is also a busy forum dedicated to the history, nature and geography of Iberia available on sister site Iberia Nature Forum that complements Wildside Holidays with an expert community that can help with where to visit and general information about the nature of Iberia.

Site owner Clive Muir says: “Wildside Holidays offers an antidote to the ‘one size fits all’ attitude of many travel aggregator sites. Visitors get access to a small but highly focused community of alternative and professional nature holiday providers that fuse sustainability and wildlife awareness with a welcome and alternative escape from the madding crowds.”