Natural Parks in Galicia

Fragas del Eume Natural Park

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  • Region: Galicia
  • Province: La Coruña
  • Declared a Natural Park: 1997
  • Park surface area: 9126 hectares
  • Towns and villages: Cabañas, A Capela, Monfero, Puentedeume, Puentes

Points of interest

The Fragas del Eume Natural Park is home to one of Europes best-preserved examples of a riverside temperate rainforest where oak such as (Quercus robur and Quercus pyrenaica) are dominant.

The forest follows the course of the River Eume and Fraga is a Galician word for “natural or untouched virgin woodland”. The European Union has also recognised the park as a Site of Community Importance.

On March 31, 2012 a forest fire that began close to the village of Capela which affected part of the park. The Capela fire was set by vandals and spread thanks to the strong wind and the easy combustion of local plantations of pines and eucalyptus. The fire burned the upper part of the Eume canyon up to an altitude of about 300 meters and affected around 300 hectares of the Natural Park .

The use of private vehicles is restricted during Easter and the summer months due to the high volume of visitors in this period to both the Natural Park and the Monastery of Caaveiro. Head for the interpretation centre (See Information centres below) to find out about the transport service from the info centre to the bridge of Caaveiro and the monastery.

Located on a rocky mound between the Eume and Sesin rivers, the Monastery of San Xoán de Caaveiro close to the village of A Capella was founded in the tenth century by Saint Rudesind.

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Flora

The dominant tree in the Fragas del Eume Natural Park is the oak (Quercus robur ). Other species appear more isolated but contribute fundamentally to the natural diversity of the forest, such as strawberry trees (Arbutus unedo). The chestnut trees (Castanea sativa), a species originally disseminated in European forests are currently few in number and are remnants from its cultivation during the Roman Empire. Alder (Alnus glutinosa), ash (Fraxinus excelsior and F. angustifolia), form a forest within the forest, by creating a specially shaded, fresh and rich natural space on the river banks. Elm (Ulmus glabra) prefers fresh and deep soils. Laurel (Laurus nobilis), holly (Ilex aquifolium) and hazel (Corylus avellana) occupy the lower part of the forest because they rarely reach the same height as other species. Birch (Betuda alba) colonizes the areas with poorer soil and on very steep slopes which helps to extend the forest further away from the river environment.

It should be noted that the Fragas do Eume are home to 28 species of ferns, 7 of them relict, of which 6 are classified as threatened and require the greatest protection. Both the geographical position and the orography of the Eume canyon made it possible for some ferns such as Culcita macrocarpa or Woodwardia radicans to remain up to present time.

Fauna

Due to their humid and shady climate this is the ideal environment for amphibians and thirteen of the fifteen species present in Galicia make a home in the area. The Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra) and the subspecies Galician fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra gallaica) are very common as are the Iberian spiny toad (bufo spinosus) and the Iberian frog (Rana perezi)

Among the birds, those that have adapted to hunting in the forest, such as the goshawks and the long-eared owl stand out. Also, those that live in more open spaces such as the Eagle owl, peregrine falcon, black and red kite whilst on the river banks the dipper and kingfisher are present in good numbers.

Among the mammals look out for otter, stone marten, genet, roe deer, fox, deer and badger and in the highest and more remote areas there are Iberian wolf populations.

The two most popular walking routes in the Fragas del Eume Natural Park

Encomendeiros footpath

This 5.5 km route is linear. Round trip 11 km. It begins at the Cal Grande bridge, crossing the river and on the right hand side the footpath starts. 3 km from the first bridge there is a second suspension bridge where you can cross the river and return to the road that takes you to the Santa Cristina bridge or continue along the path to the Monastery. Keep in mind that to the Cal Grande bridge there are still 2.5 km by road from the Interpretation Center.

When the road is closed you have the following options:
  • Leave the car in any of the car parks and walk the 16 km round trip to the Monastery (2.5 by road and 5.5 by path / road in each direction).
  • Walk only one way and get back on the bus. In this case, you would only do 8 kilometers.
  • Go by bus to the suspension bridge of Cal Grande, go down and do the 5.5 km of the path to the monastery, in this way you save 2.5 km by road. You can also get off at the Fornelos suspension bridge and do only 2.5 km of trail.
  • Return either walking or or by bus that you can get on at any of the stops (Puente de Santa Cristina, Puente Colgante de Fornelos, Puente Colgante de Cal Grande).
  • The bus will not pick you up between stops so keep a note of the current timetable.
Path of Pena Fesa

If you have young kids then the path of Pena Fesa is ideal and runs through the mountains of A Marola and Pena Fesa (709 m). (The latter is one of the highest in the province of A Coruña). Most of the route, with fantastic views, is done on clear forest tracks and roads without traffic. The circular route is about 10 KM and takes 2 to 3 hours depending on how fast you walk.

Information/Visitors Centers

Centro de Interpretación de Caaveiro

Address: Lugar de Andarúbel. On the road from Ombre to Caaveiro at km 5.

This is the main information centre for the Fragas del Eume Natural Park and is a great resource with plenty of information panels and material about the fauna, flora and history of the area.

Bus service to the Caaveiro Monastery

In the Fragas do Eume Natural Park the use of private vehicles is restricted during Easter and the summer months. During these periods, visitors have a FREE bus service that connects the Interpretation Center of Caaveiro (Pontedeume) with the Monastery of Caaveiro (A Capela).

  • Buy the tickets on the bus.
  • Tickets are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis and reservations are not allowed in person or by phone.
  • Dogs are allowed but must be in a carrier.
  • The buses run every hour approximately but check the times in the Information Centre when you arrive.

The official tourist website is here http://galicianaturaleunica.xunta.gal/es/fragas-do-eume#item-servicios

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Natural Parks and protected areas in La Rioja

Reserva Natural de los Sotos de Alfaro

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  • Region: La Rioja
  • Nearest town: Alfaro
  • Declared a Reserva Natural: 2001
  • Protected surface area: 476 hectares

Points of interest

No trip to the region of La Rioja would be complete without a visit to the Reserva Natural de los Sotos de Alfaro and the town of Alfaro (The city of storks) that holds a huge colony of white storks. The proximity of the Sotos del Ebro Natural Reserve, the baroque architecture of the Collegiate Church of San Miguel and the protection and pride of the towns inhabitants, provide the storks with an incomparable place that makes this the largest colony in the world of white storks on a single edifice.

Reserva Natural de los Sotos de Alfaro
Reserva Natural de los Sotos de Alfaro – White storks

The colony consists of about a hundred nests and the oldest ones can weigh half a ton and are made up of branches and plant remains, cloth, rope, paper and clay.

During the nesting and breeding season, the skies of Alfaro are filled with these birds, which carry materials for their nests or food for their chicks. The best place to see them is from the Plaza de España and the Mirador de las Cigüeñas.

Here in the Reserva Natural de los Sotos de Alfaro, the river Ebro runs down a very wide alluvial plain, which allows it to form a large number of meanders. This is an area of ​​outstanding ecological value since the area contains a great diversity of fauna with 13 species of fish, 20 amphibians and reptiles, 172 species of birds and 28 of mammals. This is also one of the last areas of La Rioja where original riverside woodland and forest remains (willow, poplar, alder, ash and elm).

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Fauna

In and around the water

Endemic species of fish present are the Ebro barbel (Luciobarbus graellsii), madrilla (Chondrostoma miegii), European chub (Squalius cephalus) and the freshwater blenny (Salaria fluviatilis) which is included in the regional catalogue of threatened species. There are also quite a few introduced species in the river, among among them carp (Cyprinus carpio), Northern pike (Exos lucius), Common bleak (Alburnus alburnus) and of course the Wels catfish (Silurus glanis) which, in the warm waters of the Ebro grows to record breaking sizes.

There are great concerns about the ecological impact of introducing the wels catfish to regions where it is not native. Following the introduction of wels catfish, populations of other fish species have undergone steep declines. Since its introduction in the Mequinenza Reservoir in 1974, it has spread to other parts of the Ebro basin, including its tributaries, especially the Segre River. Some endemic species of Iberian barbels that were once abundant, especially in the Ebro river have disappeared due to competition with and predation by wels catfish. The ecology of the river has also changed with a major growth in aquatic vegetation such as algae.

The habitat here is ideal for the Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita), midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans), Iberian spadefoot toad (Pelobates cultripes) and common frog (Rana perezi). The viperine (Natrix maura) is the most abundant snake and also look out for both types of terrapin, Mediterranean pond turtle (Mauremys leprosa) and the European pond terrapin (Emys orbicularis).

Birdlife

The woodlands along the banks of the river are of great importance to both resident and migratory birds. During migration times birds such as cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), various duck species, grey heron (Ardea cinerea), red kite (Milvus milvus), thrush species, long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus) and different groups of finch species can be seen whilst en-route to their summer or winter grounds.

Nesting and resident birds present are the Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), waders such as the small plover (Charadrius dubius ), Green woodpecker (Picus viridis) and the scarce Lesser spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor), turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), Golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus), European sand martin (Riparia riparia), nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), robin (Erithacus rubecula), blackbird (Turdus merula), wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), Melodious warbler (Hippolais polyglotta), Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), Common chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita), short-toed treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla), European penduline tit (Remiz pendulinus) and Cirl bunting (Emberiza cirlus).

Mammals

The habitat in the Reserva Natural de los Sotos de Alfaro is also ideal for a large amount of mammals such as Etruscan shrew (Suncus etruscus), wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), Mediterranean pine vole (Microtus duodecimcostatus), Southern water vole (Arbicola sapidus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), fox (Vulpes vulpes), genet (Genetta genetta), badger (Meles meles), weasel (Mustela nivalis), polecat (Mustela putorius) and wild cat (Felis silvestris)

In addition, two emblematic mammals closely linked to the aquatic environment live in in the Reserva Natural de los Sotos de Alfaro. Otter (Lutra lutra) and the European mink (Mustela lutreola).

Flora

The protection for this area has come just in time and one can imagine what this area must have looked like before the native woodlands were removed by modern agricultural practices.

The best-preserved groves are presented as dense tree formations that reach 8-15 meters in height with species such as white willow (Salíx alba), black poplar (Populus nigra), white poplar (Populus alba) and ash (Fraxinus angustifolia).

The shrub layer is mostly made up of thorny plants such as roses (Rosa sp.), Blackberries (Rubus sp.) Or hawthorns (Crataegus monogyna). Inside the groves, when they are well developed, the light is scarce so the herbaceous layer becomes poor and climbing plants such as ivy (Hedera helix) and clematis (Clematis vitalba) are present.

On certain banks and flooded areas there are formations of reed (Phragmites australis, Scirpus lacustris), cattails (Thypha angustifolia, Thypha domingensis). Growing in the flood channels and river banks there are spotted lady’s thumb (Persicaria maculosa) and knotgrass (Paspalum distichum), a grass that forms dense masses on the riverbank bank.

Information/Visitors Centers

Centro de Interpretación de los Sotos de Alfaro y sus cigüeñas

Located in the Plaza de España in the town of Alfaro this highly recommendable information centre should be your first place to visit if you are in the area. It is packed with information not only for the Reserva Natural de los Sotos de Alfaro and the stork colony in Alfaro but also many more things to do and see in La Rioja and further afield.

The town of Alfaros website (In Spanish) is here. https://alfaro.es/turismo/Ciguenas_CInterpretacion.htm

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Reptiles and Amphibians of Spain

Andalucian wall lizard – Podarcis vaucheri – Lagartija andaluza

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  • English: Andalusian Wall Lizard
  • Scientific: Podarcis vaucheri
  • Spanish: Lagartija andaluza
  • French: Lézard Andalouse
  • German: Andalusischen Mauereidechse
  • Italian: Lucertola Andalusa
  • Portuguese: Lagartixa-andaluz
  • Distribution: southern Spain (Western Andalucia), central and northern Morocco, northern Algeria and northern Tunisia.
  • Similar species: Iberian wall lizard (Podarcis hispanicus) Lagartija ibérica (Basically if you are anywhere other than Western Andalucia its probably an Iberian wall lizard….) – Spanish Psammodromus (Psammodromus hispanicus) lives in open terrain and does not climb – Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus) has 4 well defined darker stripes and much longer tail.
Andalucian wall lizard - Podarcis vaucheri – Lagartija andaluza
Andalucian wall lizard sunning itself on a pine tree

The Andalucian wall lizard – Podarcis vaucheri – Lagartija andaluza is a small, slender lizard with a somewhat flattened head and body. Their body length is between 4 and 6 cm (1½ to 2½inches). The tail can be more than twice the body length, bringing the total length to18 cm in the larger examples (7 inches). The males are the larger and more robust, with voluminous head and longer limbs. They display a wide variety of colours, the background can be brown, grey or green. The dorsal pattern of the males is usually green and brown with black spots forming broken or irregular lines. The females usually have more defined stripes.

Active throughout the year except during the coldest winter days they prefer habitas with platforms where they can sunbathe with close access to shelters, to hide in case of danger. They like to live in stony and rocky areas, old walls, buildings, tree trunks, etc.

Food consists of small insects, spiders, millipedes and gastropods.

Andalucian wall lizard - Podarcis vaucheri – Lagartija andaluza
Andalucian wall lizard – Podarcis vaucheri – Lagartija andaluza – Note the hatchlings blue tail.

Breeding can start from late February and lasts until July. During this period, the males engage in fights, after which the winner mates with the female. They can produce up to 4 clutches of eggs per year. 1-5 eggs per clutch are laid which take 48 to 82 days to hatch. At birth they have a brown dorsal colour often with a blue or green tail.

Andalucian wall lizard - Podarcis vaucheri – Lagartija andaluza
Andalucian wall lizard – Podarcis vaucheri – Lagartija andaluza – Males fighting during breeding season.

This species was formally treated as a subspecies of Podarcis hispanicus, (See below) but rose to the rank of species (Oliver et al. 2000) and was originally considered to only be in northern Africa, but has also been shown to be present in southern Spain (Harris et al. 2002).

The Iberian wall lizard – Podarcis hispanicus – Lagartija ibérica

To be honest, I can’t tell the difference between these two lizard species and some studies even point to interbreeding along the distribution frontiers.

Identification by geographic location is the key… basically, anywhere between Malaga along the coast towards Cádiz and then the Portuguese border and inland to the Sierra Norte de Seville and back towards Jaen seem to be the territory of the Andalucian wall lizard….. Anywhere else its the Iberian wall lizard…. (Any comments and corrections are most welcome)

Iberian wall lizard - Podarcis hispanica – Lagartija Ibérica
Iberian wall lizard – Podarcis hispanica – Lagartija Ibérica

There is also a subspecies of the Iberian wall lizard, Podarcis hispanica atrata that lives in the Columbretes Islands off the eastern coast of Spain on the way to the Balearics. See wikipedia article in Spanish here.

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Birdlife of Spain

Short-toed Eagle – Circaetus gallicus – Aguila culebrera

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March and early April brings a great joy for lovers of the spectacular Short-toed Eagle – Circaetus gallicus -Aguila culebrera when yet again they have made it across the Strait of Gibraltar to their breeding grounds in Europe. The first single birds start appearing in the Sierra de Grazalema at the end of February but the massive migration comes in March, when clouds of birds can be seen entering continental Europe.

This eagle´s appearance and its habits make it a treat to watch, whether you are a seasoned birder, a casual nature lover or a walker who maybe has never seen an eagle before. Once you have spotted this easy-to-identify, pale, graceful silhouette against the blue Andalucían sky, hovering like a kestrel while scanning the limestone rocks and scrub to find prey, you just may become a life-long fan.

Short-toed Eagle - Circaetus gallicus - Aguila culebrera
Short-toed Eagle – Circaetus gallicus – Aguila culebrera

There are many features which make the European Short-toed Eagle special, probably the most defining one being its diet. This eagle is a successful snake hunter, its diet being a narrow speciality as far as birds of prey are concerned.

Where do the short-toes fit in, then?

This bird has powerful but stubby toes, covered in thick scales which protect it from snake bites. When the eagle spots a snake from above using its excellent binocular vision (its eyes are very large and facing well forward) it lunges at the reptile, grabbing it with its strong toes and pecking at the head with its sharp hooked beak. The snake, in defence, will try to crawl on the bird´s wings, damaging the feathers and the struggle can be quite spectacular as the eagle does not shy away from large snakes. Once subdued the snake is swallowed whole. The bird throws its head back and using gravity and a snake-friendly gullet, let´s the prey slide bit by bit into its stomach.

Nesting and chick rearing

The Short-toed eagle nests in bushy tree-tops, such as Holm or Cork Oaks; only one egg is laid. The Short-toed “Eaglet” hatches from mid May to the beginning of June and starts flying in August, only one or two months before it is time to migrate to the tropical zone of Africa. There are well-documented cases of both juvenile and adult birds overwintering in the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, although it is more of an exception than a rule.

The young chick is first fed with small snake snacks and then taught to swallow the reptile whole like thick spaghetti. It is a fascinating sight to witness the adult eagles carrying wiggling snakes hanging from their beaks making the tricky delivery to the nest. The Short-toed will also pursue lizards, especially the large Ocellated Lizard which seems to be its favourite delicacy. When no snakes or lizards are available, it will cheat hunger with an occasional amphibian or even large insects.

How to identify the Short-toed Eagle – Circaetus gallicus – Aguila culebrera

Before you ask yourself what it is, it´s good to think what it is not. By far the most likely bird of prey in the skies around Grazalema in Andalusia is the large Griffon Vulture; however all of our resident and migratory eagles are smaller than the Griffon, even the powerful Golden Eagle. So, if it is a little smaller than a Griffon Vulture, we may want to start paying attention.

Short-toed Eagle - Circaetus gallicus - Aguila culebrera
Short-toed Eagle – Circaetus gallicus – Aguila culebrera

Very pale. The Short-toed eagle in flight will at first glance appear to be purely white underneath, at a closer look you will notice fine barring on the wings and chest. Young birds will often lack those fine dark lines. The wings are quite wide and the tail is long, often fanned out when the birds is suspended in the air.

If it hovers and it is much, much larger than a Kestrel, then it is the Short-toed Eagle. The wing beats are not as fast as the Kestrel’s but the Short-toed can stay suspended in one spot for quite a while.

Large, often fluffed up head, quite startled-looking large orange eyes, hooked beak and match-stick thin legs make up the image of a perched Short-toed. It will happily rest on rocks or in trees.

In the breeding season, or flying with the young, these birds can be quite vocal, uttering mournful, nasal shrieks, like someone suffering from a heavy cold. The parents and the young love play-fighting dive bombing each other in mid air.

These spectacular animals are not endangered in Spain at the moment but they are considered to be birds “of special interest”. They could start disappearing rapidly due to the progressive destruction of large forests and due to the thoughtless persecution of snakes which is still common in all parts of Europe. The bird´s survival depends on the availability of reptiles.

In Spanish, the Short-toed is called “la Culebrera”, the Snake Eagle, which is also an alternative, less used, English name for this impressive raptor.

Watch this fantastic footage from the Spanish wildlife show “El hombre y la tierra” with the unmistakeable narrative voice of Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente.

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Take a trip on the Wildside! Discover the wildlife and nature of Spain, its Natural and National Parks and find the top wildlife, activity and walking holiday companies in Spain.

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