IBERIAN LYNX OF SPAIN PHOTO TOUR

Photograph the world's most endangered cat

8 Days

Southern Spain

6 Pax

Difficult

Easy

Iberian Lynx of Spain Photo Tour

The lynx of southern Spain

This Iberian lynx photo tour is designed with the sole purpose of getting you up close and personal with the world’s most endangered wild cat species, the Iberian lynx. Despite their elusive nature we have seen multiple lynx on every one of our previously run tours. To help this endangered species we have also incorporated building a rabbit warren as a team during the tour.

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Iberian Lynx during our Iberian Lynx Photo Tour

SEARCH FOR THE ENDANGERED IBERIAN LYNX

Backlight Iberian Lynx during our Iberian Lynx Photo Tour

100% SUCCESS RATE ON SEEING MULTIPLE LYNX PER TOUR

ENJOY THE UNIQUE MEDITERRANEAN FOREST OF SOUTHERN SPAIN

EXPERIENCE OTHER MAMMALS LIKE RED DEER AND FALLOW DEER

SEE BIRDS LIKE SPANISH IMPERIAL EAGLES AND LITTLE OWLS

Conservation Activity during our Iberian Lynx Photo Tour

BUILD RABBIT WARREN TO HELP PROTECT THE LYNX

Why we love this Iberian Lynx safari

This Iberian lynx photo tour is perfect for any wild cat enthusiast who wants to photograph one of the rarest cats in the world, the Iberian lynx. Our very small group size ensures that we have meaningful encounters with the lynx and that we do not disturb them. We not only utilize the best Iberian lynx guides, but we also search for lynx both on public as well as on private land.

One of our favorite aspects of this tour is that the lynx brings us as individuals together. Due to their elusive nature, it takes a lot of patience for the cats to show themselves. This allows for plenty of opportunities to get to know one another, to make friends, and to share stories with each other. From every tour we have run, we know of people who became such close friends they have since then traveled together.

We overlap the time of our tour with Iberian lynx mating season. This means that there is a good chance we will see mating pairs and we are sometimes even lucky enough to hear the yowling call one lynx will make to attract a partner.

Our conservation activity for this tour also often ranks amongst the highlights for this tour as we spend one morning building a rabbit warren in prime lynx habitat. This helps increase rabbit numbers in the area, which is key to bringing back Iberian lynx.

Iberian Lynx of Spain photo tour testimonials

“What an opportunity to see one of the world’s rarest cats in a dazzling landscape setting with delicious homemade/homegrown food & sangria. Sebastian is an incredible, passionate and ethical guide. His knowledge of cat behavior helped us locate and photograph the elusive and beautiful Iberian lynx.”

- Michelle Liles

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Iberian Lynx in Spain

Iberian Lynx in Spain
Iberian Lynx at Sunset

Iberian Lynx at Sunset
Iberian Lynx Scratching Itself

Iberian Lynx Scratching Itself
Iberian Lynx Male

Iberian Lynx Male
Iberian Lynx Mother and Kitten

Iberian Lynx Mother and Kitten
Iberian Lynx in Spain

Iberian Lynx in Spain
Iberian Lynx Female

Iberian Lynx Female

Other wildlife you can see on this tour

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Target wild cats during our Iberian Lynx photo tour

IBERIAN LYNX (Lynx pardinus)

Iberian lynx are our main and really only wild cat target during this photo tour. We have selected the best location at the best time of year to see this endangered cat and have done so on every one of our tours. In the Andujar area, where we run the tour, the cats tend to have small spots, unlike other parts of the country.

Difficulty: Difficult

Other possible wild cats during our safari

EUROPEAN WILD CAT (Felis silvestris)

Though European wild cats are found in the Sierra Morena mountains they are hardly ever seen. The closest relative to our beloved domestic cats is wide spread and we are currently in the process of organizing a tour just for these cats in northern Spain, in the month of August. It never hurts to keep your eye out for these small felines however.

Difficulty: Extremely Difficult

Easy: for the duration of the trip we will have multiple encounters with this wild cat species with good photo opportunities

Medium: we expect to see the wild cat and have at least one, but probably multiple encounters, with good photo opportunities

Difficult: for the duration of the trip, our goal will be to have one encounter with good photographic opportunities

Very Difficult: for the duration of the trip we hope to have one encounter with the cat, whether a good photo opportunity or not

Extremely Difficult: it is extremely unlikely to see this cat, so having even a glimpse of this cat is considered success

You are in good hands, we are Iberian lynx experts

We have chosen the best location at the perfect time of year for our Iberian Lynx photo tour. More importantly we utilize the best Iberian lynx guides to increase our chances of seeing the cats.

Your international wild cat and photography guide is Sebastian Kennerknecht who has traveled to southern Spain extensively, photographing many Iberian lynx including mothers with kittens and mating pairs. In total, Sebastian has spent over a thousand hours in Iberian lynx habitat looking for these cats and knows how to find them.

Besides having Sebastian by your side for guidance at all times, we have hand picked the best local guides who have spent years in the Mediterranean forest looking for Iberian lynx.

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Mediterranean Forest at Sunrise in Spain

Day 1
Fly into Madrid in Spain. Upon arriving in Madrid, you will be met by your Cat Expeditions guide at the airport. You will be driven to our accommodations, a remote villa, five hours south of Madrid, in a rural area thirty minutes north of Andujar.

Villa Matilde

Iberian Lynx during our Iberian Lynx of Spain Photo Tour

Day 2-7
After an early breakfast we look for and photograph lynx on a mixture of public and private land. We will mostly be in one spot, on foot, waiting for the cat. We generally stay out all day, have packed lunch in the field, return to the villa after sunset and have dinner. During one morning we will build the rabbit warren (see conservation section).

Villa Matilde

Day 8
After an early breakfast, we drive five hours back to Madrid. You will catch your onwards flight from there.

Villa Matilde

Itinerary at a glance

7 NIGHTS
8 DAYS

1 B & B

12 CAT EXCURSIONS

1 CONSERVATION ACTIVITY

SHRUBLAND
FOREST

1 SMALL CAT

Walking safaris
[HIDE PHOTOGRAPHY]

Photographing the world’s most endangered cat in comfort

As far as we know, we are the only company offering an Iberian lynx photo tour, specifically targeting the endangered Iberian lynx. We have optimized the tour and have seen multiple lynx despite their extremely elusive nature every time we have run the tour.

To create the most comforting environment we are staying at the most heart-warming and welcoming Bed and Breakfast in the area, called Villa Matilda. It is run and owned by the same couple since well before we started visiting the area in 2013. We hear repeatedly from our clients that their food is some of the best they have tasted on a tour, including mouth-watering deserts.

Being able to stay at this charming villa allows us to be perfectly rested and fed to spend all day light hours looking for lynx in an area not too far away from our lodging.

Besides providing you the opportunity to see and photograph wild cats, we at Cat Expeditions make your travel experience hassle free. Upon booking, you will be sent a full itinerary that includes what to bring and how to prepare. Once you land in Madrid, you can focus on enjoying yourself as all the travel logistics are not only taken care off, but optimized to give you the most time to enjoy the incredible wildlife that southern Spain has to offer.

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Villa Matilde

Villa Matilde is a beautiful family owned and operated bed and breakfast in the Andalusian heartland of southern Spain, thirty minutes from the city of Andújar. The villa offers quiet surroundings and unspoiled nature. it was built in 1926 and the original interior has partly been preserved. this, along with the common room fireplace make the villa a place with a special, cozy atmosphere.

The rooms are basic, customary to rural Spain, with comfortable and clean beds and bathrooms. Delicious homemade breakfasts and dinners are prepared by our hosts, and a packed lunch is also provided daily.

Villa Matilde has high-speed internet and laundry service is available at a small cost to the client.

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Conservation impact of our Iberian lynx photo tour

Like all Cat Expeditions tours, our Iberian lynx photo tour has conservation impact built into it. Iberian lynx are classified as endangered and are the world’s most endangered species of cat, with less than one thousand animals in the wild. This is primarily due to the loss of its prey, rabbits, which are heavily affected by viruses.

To counteract this loss, our conservation activity for this tour is to build a rabbit home, also called a warren. Basically a mixture of pallets, sticks and earth, this structure serves as a home and place for the rabbits to raise their young.

We will spend one morning building one rabbit warren in prime lynx habitat, doing our part to help the Iberian lynx recover. There is no requirement to participate.

Conservation at a glance

BUILDING RABBIT WARREN

IBERIAN LYNX ADVOCACY

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Iberian Lynx of Spain Photo Tour Dates

January 10th -18th, 2025 (4 spots available)

January 9th - 17th, 2026 (5 spots available)

Iberian Lynx of Spain Photo Tour Pricing

Price per person: $7,000

Single room supplement: $750

The price includes:
- all transportation starting in Madrid
- lodging
- meals (not including alcohol]
- Iberian lynx excursions
- guide services of Sebastian Kennerknecht
- guide services of local guide
- materials for rabbit warren

The price does not include:
- flights to Madrid
- tips
- laundry
- insurance

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