Somiedo is one of the last European paradises to see wild bears in freedom. Thanks to successful conservation policies, the population of Cantabrian brown bears has multiplied in recent decades. And nowadays travelers from all over Spain and Europe traveling in season to see them in their natural habitat in the mountains and valleys of the Somiedo Natural Park.

However, anyone familiar with wildlife watching knows that you can never guarantee a 100% sighting of a wildlife species. Our group tours are only available during the peak bear-watching season: May, June, and September. During the rest of the year, you may or may not be lucky, but the experience will always be worth it. Guaranteed.

No problem. We have set departure dates for groups you can join (maximum 8 guests). We can also organize a departure date based on your availability and post it on our website for others to join. Because our pricing is based on double rooms, you must be willing to share a room or tent with another person of the same gender or pay a supplement for a single room (this option may vary by program). We also have a few self-guided trips where we organize all the logistics and accommodations so you can travel at your own pace.

On our scheduled departure trips, we travel with a maximum of 8 people to ensure a personalized service. However, if you are traveling with family or friends, we can work with you to arrange a private tour for any size group.

In our group tours, while we travel through the beautiful Asturian landscapes, the nights are divided between different accommodation types: boutique hotels, rural hotels, and cottages. And even a night we are bivouacking in the mountains!

Traveling with your children can be an exciting, educational, and beautiful experience. We have tried all the tour activities with our children, so we know which activities are most appropriate.

Bears & Waves requires children to be 12 years of age or older for our scheduled group trips.

For self-guided and a la carte trips, we are confident that we can design an age-appropriate experience for your children.

From our decades of experience traveling with different operators worldwide, we know that it is challenging to match the food tastes of each traveler. So our option is straightforward: before each excursion, we stop at a grocery store for everyone to buy what they like the most. Simple and effective!

In addition, we always invite our travelers to bring their favorite snacks from their home countries. Thanks to that initiative, we have already tasted some delicious butter cookies from Holland and some octopus snacks from Singapore… it’s an excellent way to travel with taste!

Even so, our hiking, mountain, and wildlife-watching guides and tour leaders always carry water and snacks just in case we get hungry.

Of course not! We cater to special dietary needs, vegetarians, vegans, or guests with food allergies. Please inform us in advance if your group has unique requirements.

Our itinerary through the heart of Asturias is designed to be enjoyed by all types of people with a minimum fitness level. Although the routes are not challenging, it is necessary to be used to walking in the mountains and to maintain a level of daily physical activity to enjoy the rhythm of activities for a week.

The routes and activities of the self-guided and a la carte tours are configured according to the needs and preferences of each client. From families with children to demanding mountaineers.

We strongly recommend that participants have an acceptable fitness level and at least some hiking experience. We have support staff that will be with us during the whole adventure helping us to enjoy a genuine travel experience in Asturias.

When you sign up for one of our trips, we will send you a detailed packing list according to the type of trip you are taking and the time of year.

As a general rule, remember that Asturias has a somewhat unpredictable climate, with a tendency for rainy and humid days. The green of the landscapes has a cause! However, the months we operate group trips (May, June, and September) are meteorologically stable (although we say that with a small mouth).

To prepare for everything from hot and sunny days to cold, rain, fog, or wind, the best strategy is to dress in layers: a thermal base layer, followed by a fleece jacket to keep you warm and a final waterproof/windproof/rainproof layer to protect you from the elements (hopefully you won’t have to wear it, but you should always carry it in your attack pack).

You will also need comfortable hiking pants (not jeans!), thermal tights, a hat, sunglasses, underwear, and several pairs of hiking socks (look for socks without seams to avoid chafing and possible blisters).

On horseback, it is essential to wear comfortable long pants. If you tend to chafe in your legs, applying some vaseline cream before the route is advisable.

On the canoeing day, you will need a swimsuit and river shoes (preferably adjustable). Optionally you can wear a lycra t-shirt.

On the surfing day, our guides will provide all the necessary equipment: wetsuits, boards, and lycra.

When organizing your trip with us through Asturias, we work with first-class professional tour operators and their guides to offer you a Bears & Waves level of service.

We have local guides who live in Asturias all year round for our group itineraries. They are officially qualified to guide and are periodically trained in flora, fauna, geology, and history topics.

All Exploring Spain activities in Spain have accident insurance included in the price. However, suppose you practice mountain sports regularly and travel frequently. In that case, we suggest that you take out travel insurance, which in addition to covering any accidents and rescues, will protect you against many other situations.

If you need travel insurance, you can purchase it with our travel agency. Exploring Spain processes all insurances with Intermundial. The cost of these insurances is lower if you contract it through Exploring Spain than if you do it directly with Intermundial.

https://www.exploring-spain.com/insurances

Yes, we do offer private tours. You can set a set group departure date private (additional fees may apply to groups under 8) or create a trip tailored to your interests. We are happy to make this happen. Please get in touch with us or fill out our custom form to reserve your private group.

None. Booking a trip with Bears & Waves is like telling us I’m interested! Once you have made your reservation, you will receive an acknowledgment of receipt in the email you have indicated. When the minimum group size for the trip is reached, the Exploring Spain travel agency will contact you and everyone who has made a reservation to confirm that you are still interested in the journey. Only then will you have to make a firm decision. Once Exploring Spain has verified that there is a minimum group size, each participant must confirm the reservation with the payment of at least 50% of the trip price.

Cancellation insurance covers the reimbursement of expenses incurred by travelers when they cancel a trip. The cancellation insurance must be contracted at the same time the trip is hired or booked (only in some cases the insurance company gives a few hours or even days of margin to formalize the contracting of the insurance).

The traveler will be covered if they cancel the trip before the beginning due to any guaranteed causes occurring after the journey has been booked or contracted.

There may be many guaranteed causes, depending on the type of insurance contracted. The most common are severe illness or accident, serious damage resulting from theft, dismissal or employment, or call as part of a jury or a polling station.

We are a small company of experts in active, nature, and adventure travel, with great experience organizing travel itineraries and a passion for our country.

We have poured all that experience and passion into this travel itinerary through the heart of Asturias, a region of Spain that we love and wish to share in an engaging, safe, and fun way with travelers from all over the world.

To optimize our personalized service and ensure a pleasant experience, we drive small groups of at most 8 people. And above all: we have counted on the collaboration of local guides, escorts, and operators who love the nature and culture of their land. And it shows.