Partridge shooting in La Nava, Spain

For those seeking an elite sporting experience, few destinations rival La Nava. Excellent shooting paired with service fit for a king is what clients expect during their Spanish excursions, and it is undoubtedly why they return year after year. Despite a Spanish season running from 15 September to 31 March and offering 197 shooting days, including Sundays, La Nava is almost always fully booked — not least for British teams wishing to extend a season affected by grouse cancellations. For anyone drawn by the romance of partridges in Spain, it has become the definitive address.

At the end of February, I joined a trip hosted by William Powell Sporting for one of their regular British parties. A short flight into Madrid and an effortless collection by an estate driver made arrival simple. Guests usually enjoy a scenic drive with a stop for lunch through sleepy towns and past the region’s famed bullfighting arenas, though those wanting ultimate convenience can use the private airstrip.

Arrival at the partridge shoot

On reaching the impressive lodge — framed by water features and manicured olive trees — owner Javier Medem and his team were formally arranged to greet arriving guests. From that moment, everything is essentially all-inclusive, with any requirement quickly met. This, I’ve learned, is very much the William Powell approach. After welcome drinks, Guns are invited into the gunroom to choose a matched pair from the collection of premium over-and-unders, side-by-sides and calibres from 28- to 12-bore. Ollie from William Powell Sporting carried out a quick fitting for each client; any adjustment was swiftly made with extender pads or raisers to improve comfort and, undoubtedly, performance.

The party of eleven were then shown to their rooms, walking past trophies, historic hunting art and photographs lining the terracotta-toned corridors. The lodge’s 12 double en-suite bedrooms offer every comfort, whether for a lads’ trip or a relaxed weekend with partners, friends or family. Each guest receives locally produced olive oil and an essentials pack — sunglasses, ear buds, a cap and more — those small forgotten items that can make a real difference.

While the chefs prepared a superb supper using fresh local produce, including venison and game from the estate, guests could enjoy the gym, massage suite, games room, tennis and padel courts, or relax by the pool. Many simply settled on the terrace with a cocktail, watching the sun dip into the hills. Nothing at La Nava feels faux; the layout, furnishings, and professional yet warm service reflect years of refinement based on client feedback. The estate has perfected hospitality as surely as it has perfected the production of classical driven partridges in Spain.

A first day of high spirits and higher birds

Excitement was evident the next morning. Five gleaming Land Cruisers were lined up with military precision before coffees were poured. Uniformed shoot staff — all with immaculate English — were ready to greet the team. A light breakfast was taken with views of mountains where Spanish Imperial eagles and vultures circled on the thermals.

Shoot manager Gonzalo led the morning briefing, covering the details you would expect, before drawing pegs and explaining the loader-and-secretario system. Each Gun has a loader positioned ahead and to one side with a table of cartridges, and a secretario behind with a clicker to count birds shot. Unlike the UK system where a team pays for a bag, at La Nava each Gun is priced on their share; they can shoot their allotted tally and decide independently whether to shoot overages. All shots and kills are tallied at day’s end, with individual ratios compared — often to much evening amusement — and then fed into La Nava’s unique calculation to determine the best Shot of the day.

Heading to the first drive

A short drive brought us to the blinds, each marked with the iconic lollipops that block the low morning sun and act as Butt sticks. The first drive delivered classic redleg partridges in Spain: low to moderate height, very fast, agile and coming from every direction. The accomplished team shot a ratio of 2.86, extending to 3.02 on the return drive, which was steeper and more testing.

We moved south to steeper ground holding some of the estate’s signature drives. Here, partridges were beaten over low cliffs, olive and almond trees, providing thrilling sport and maintaining strong ratios. Secretarios gestured — not always fluently — that the next drive would see the birds returned from the near-vertical peak behind.

The third drive added most to the bag, but it was the fourth that truly impressed: waves of birds at immense height and speed, rivaling the best British high-bird shoots. A more humbling ratio of 5.2 was recorded, though the team remained strong.

Lunch was served al fresco at a white-linen table with estate-branded chairs: fresh tuna, chilli, tomato and olive salad; barbecued beef and fries; and a delicate sponge for dessert. Javier and Gonzalo shared anecdotes and spoke of the estate’s evolution since 2000, the history of La Mancha, and future plans — always seeking to perfect the perfected. Their enthusiasm, paired with the setting, solidified why La Nava has become synonymous with exceptional partridges in Spain.

Many teams head back to the lodge after lunch for a siesta, though this team chose to shoot one more drive to allow a relaxed finish on the second day and more time in Madrid.

Conservation and stalking on the estate

That afternoon I spoke with Ollie. William Powell Sporting brings many teams each season, and he confirmed that back-to-back days are common, with a minimum of 600 birds per day. La Nava employs seven full-time keepers who manage over 6,000 acres. The estate’s work for partridges also benefits the critically rare lynx, which thrives in the habitat created and thus leaves small mammals such as rabbits relatively undisturbed. The vision is to ensure that the landscape, so vital to partridges in Spain, also supports wider biodiversity.

Another highlight of La Nava is the option to stalk in the big game area. Guests can, at additional cost, take a cull animal or a trophy red stag, mouflon or boar. The safari-style outing — in a modified Land Cruiser with cut-off top, raised seats and viewing platform — takes guests through a landscape alive with big game. We saw impressive mouflon and well-formed stags, and before dusk a large hind was taken. Evening brought another excellent meal complemented by vintage wines, followed by aged single malts and G&Ts before a welcome sleep ahead of day two.

Partridge shooting by the lake

The next day offered a different set of drives. The first took place in a steep rocky ravine that gave great volume and sport, followed by a return. After tacos, we moved to the third and final drive: a tree-lined hill rising above a lake. The team shot consistently and averaged an impressive ratio across the two days — a standard many visiting teams would struggle to match. Every guest commented on the setting, accommodation, shooting, food, hospitality and the seamless attention from the William Powell team from the first enquiry onward. Expectations were exceeded in every regard.

Reflections on an outstanding estate

While packing before the return journey, I browsed the coffee-table book La Nava and the Red-Legged Partridge by The Marquess of Borgetto. It captures the estate’s essence perfectly: “Choosing La Nava del Barranco as a destination for exclusive and superlative hunting is, without doubt, a wise decision that will be sure to surprise.”

After two days immersed in world-class organisation, refined comfort and exhilarating shooting, it was hard to disagree. The combination of William Powell Sporting’s meticulous hosting and La Nava’s remarkable hospitality has made the estate a definitive standard-bearer for shooting partridges in Spain. For teams seeking something truly special — convenience, challenge, gastronomy, or simply sunshine when the British season falters — La Nava remains unmatched.

williampowellsporting.co.uk