There are few sounds that evoke a sense of
wilderness as instantly as the howl of a wolf.
Although the popular image has them
prowling through dark northern forests,
the largest European population outside
Russia and its neighbours is found in the
Atlantic extremities of Spain, along the
border with Portugal. Sightings are always
elusive, but you’ll increase your chances of
meeting an Iberian wolf by booking onto
a guided weekend programme in the Sierra
de la Culebra and Sanabria, in the rugged
province of Zamora (from £150pp incl hotel
accommodation; twobirdsonestone.es).
The tour runs year-round, so depending on
the season the sunrise and sunset peak
viewing times will be more or less of a shock
to late risers. Aside from scanning the terrain
through binoculars, wolf-spotters can also add
on a visit to local sheep farmer who guards
&'1̮-!)5'2&+ 12'$$1ƥ. 02-$ ,#$$-022-
maintain a long-term overlap between the
wolf and human worlds.
ARRIVE Porto airport (see p54) is about three
h o u r s’ d r i v e f r o m t h e w e s t e r n p a r t o f Z a m o r a
province. Vigo and Madrid are other options.
31
For wolves in
Spain
Lithuania’s seaside resorts
are among the very few
where beachgoers might
hope for a big storm. It’s just
after the waters of the Baltic
have been churned up that
7-3ư0#+-12*')#*72-̭,"
pieces of amber on the sand.
This fossilised resin has been
a precious commodity of the
region for millennia. In the
capital, Vilnius, you needn’t
%-$ 02-̭,"+31#3+1
(ambergallery.lt), craft shops
(ambergift.lt) or even spa
treatments that revolve
around the stuff. But for a
glimmer of a chance to pick
up some amber in the wild,
head to the coast. From the
pine-scented resort town of
Palanga, with its own amber
museum (pgm.lt), follow the
shore south for 40 miles onto
the Curonian Spit – a forested
sandbar and World Heritage
site. A morning stroll along
the beaches of the one-time
artists’ colony of Nida may
just produce your own
piece of ‘Baltic gold’.
ARRIVE Vilnius has the
widest choice of flights,
b u t to fl y s t r a i g h t to t h e
coast, head to Palanga
on Ryanair from Stansted
o r W i z z A i r f r o m L u to n
(from £50; wizzair.com).
STAY Miško Namas is an
immaculately maintained
guesthouse in Nida town
(from £40; miskonamas.com).OBSCURITIES
With its mapped-out
listings of offbeat sights,
Atlas Obscura is already
a great resource, but the
‘Been Here?’ counter on
each sight adds a touch
of competitiveness
(atlasobscura.com).32
For amber in
Lithuania