Layos

Guests are accommodated in Layos Palace, a restored 14th-century Mudéjar palace offering 11 luxury suites, each with its own unique character and historic charm. All meals are included throughout the stay — a full breakfast (Spanish "migas") before the shoot , a traditional Spanish field lunch with Spanish wine during the day, and a formal dinner at the palace in the evening. Drinks and open bar are included at all times. Personal staff and keepers attend guests throughout their stay, maintaining the same standards of hospitality that have defined Layos for generations. The atmosphere is that of a private house party in one of Spain's most remarkable historic homes, rather than a hotel or lodge.

This magnificent 14th-century Mudéjar palace — once home to Eugénie de Montijo, Empress Consort of France and wife of Napoleon III — has been fully restored to offer 11 luxury en-suite bedrooms, each individually decorated and steeped in centuries of history. Staying here is not like staying in a lodge or a hotel; it is more like being a guest in a great private house, with personal staff attending throughout your stay. The palace accommodates up to 11 guns and their non-shooting companions, with rooms available as doubles or singles arranged to suit your group. The only optional extra is an additional night at the palace (departing the morning after the last shoot), which is available at an additional cost.

Layos offers some of the most demanding driven partridge shooting in Spain. The wild red-legged partridge are fast, high and unpredictable, shaped by the rugged terrain of Monte de Layos and its steep valleys and ridges. Drives are designed to present birds at their most challenging — gaining height quickly off the hillsides and arriving over the guns at pace, often in large coveys that test both technique and composure. This is not easy shooting, and that is precisely the point. With over 20 classic drives across 1,800 hectares, bag sizes range from 500 & onwards. The estate has been running driven partridge shoots since 1968, and guns who shoot here once tend to come back — which is perhaps the best recommendation of all.

Layos is set in the heart of Castile, in a landscape that is uniquely and unmistakably Spanish — a vast, wild terrain of rolling hills, deep valleys and rocky ridges covered in scrubland, rosemary, thyme and holm oak, rising to over 1,000 Mts above sea level. Same landscape that has been hunted for centuries unchanged since the days when the Counts of Mora and the Spanish Royal Family shot here. Layos extends across three historic properties covering 1,800 hectares, with + than 20 classic drives designed to make the most of the natural topography. Some drives push birds over deep valleys at considerable height; others produce classic fast-crossing birds that arrive in waves. No two drives are the same. From the shooting pegs, guns enjoy a truly unforgettable backdrop to a day's sport.

At Layos, conservation is woven into the fabric of the estate. The grounds include an ancient olive grove managed by the estate, producing its own extra virgin olive oil and maintaining the traditional agricultural landscape that has shaped this land for centuries. Layos has taken the decision not to hunt rabbits on the estate — a deliberate measure to support the recovery of the Iberian lynx, one of the world's most endangered wild cats, for which the rabbit is its primary prey. The estate is also home to nesting populations of both the Spanish Imperial Eagle and the Golden Eagle — two of the most iconic and protected birds of the Iberian Peninsula — a testament to the exceptional natural environment that Layos has preserved over generations.

Guests at Layos are hosted by the Oriol Icaza family, owners of the estate for over half a century. On shooting days you will be welcomed by either Pedro Oriol Icaza — who has dedicated his life to the estate and its shooting — or his son, also Pedro, a professional golfer who has competed on the European DPWT Tour and won a Gold Medal at the 2018 European Games in Gleneagles, Scotland. The atmosphere is warm, personal and relaxed — this is a family home, not a commercial operation, and guests are treated as such. The family's deep knowledge of every drive, every valley and every corner of the estate ensures that each day is tailored to get the very best out of the shooting and the experience. Layos is the kind of place where you arrive as a guest and leave as a friend.

Shooting at Layos is priced per bird, with a minimum of 500 birds per day for groups of 5 guns or more, with larger days of 600 birds and above also available. All prices are quoted exclusive of VAT. Everything is included — palace accommodation, all meals, open bar, cartridges, hunting licences, insurance and all transfers from Madrid airport. Non-shooting guests are warmly welcome at Layos. Please contact us for pricing. Toledo, Puy du Fou and an 18-hole golf course are all just minutes from the estate. Each gun is attended by a secretary and loader throughout the day. Additional optional extras include gun hire and extra nights at the palace. Tips at guests' discretion

The nearest international is Adolfo Suarez Madrid Barajas (MAD), approximately 1 hour from Layos Palace. We take care of all transfers for your group - from Madrid airport to Layos so there is nothing to arrange on arrival. Guns travelling from the UK note that Spain requires a valid European Firearms Pass (EPP) to bring shotguns into the country. Alternatively, shotguns are available to hire at the state.

Layos is not simply a shooting estate — it is one of the most remarkable privately owned historic properties in Spain, and the combination of exceptional partridge shooting with a palace of this calibre is virtually impossible to find anywhere else. Hosting driven partridge shoots since 1968, the estate is also home to nesting Spanish Imperial Eagles and Golden Eagles, and actively supports the recovery of the Iberian lynx. For international guests seeking outstanding sport, a palace steeped in history, and the warmth of a genuine family welcome - Layos is in a class of its own. A whole experience.