Montiberri Fauna Route

The environments through which the Route runs

The route we propose will make you discover this wealth of fauna. However, direct observation of animals is difficult, as humans shy away from humans and many species are nocturnal. That is why along the way you will find replicas of footprints and excrement, and panels where the most characteristic species of each environment are represented. This way you will be able to identify the authentic tracks that you may find while walking and get to know a little more about the animals around you.

The itinerary begins near the ruins of the monastery of Lavaix, at the foot of the Viu stream. Always gently ascent, you enter the Montiberri valley through the cliffs of Roca Savina, where there is a good perspective of the Escales reservoir. In this rocky environment, animals well adapted to the rocks coexist. The path then goes up the Montiberri ravine through the sun, where the holm oak grows. It is the ideal habitat for the feral cat and the genet, of which you will be able to see some traces.

Further up, the slope softens, and the stream is crossed by a bridge. It is a good place to discover, submerged, the small animals that indicate clean waters.

Montiberri can be reached by a path boxed between drywall margins: it is a magnificent example of rural architecture… and a habitat that offers a multitude of hiding places for animals such as the cellarda rat or lizards. Montiberri is a village surrounded by meadows, where, with a bit of luck, you can discover moles or fox droppings.

Along a very flat forest track, you reach the other village of the valley: Casòs. It is an exceptional viewpoint of the Ribagorçà Pyrenees and the entire region, which will allow you to easily observe the flight of large birds of prey, such as the vulture, the bearded vulture or the golden eagle. On the way back, you will cross a Scots pine forest, and if you walk in silence you can surprise the shy roe deer or hear the squirrel working.