Estaca de Bares and O'Barqueiro Estuary routes
Walking or bicycle routes
Estaca de Bares (Mañón): Porto de Bares - Semáforo de Bares - ornithological station - Vila de Bares - Porto de Bares
Level of difficulty: medium.
Duration: 2-3 hrs.
Basic information: Route at the extreme northern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, passing along the winding paths of the Estaca de Bares headland. Presence of migrating seabirds from August to December and passerines stopping off between August and December.
Loiba (Ortigueira/Mañón): Esteiro - O Picón - Burreiros - Loiba - Agrela - Montedónigo - Pumar do Valo - Esteiro
Level of difficulty: medium-low.
Duration: 3-4 hrs.
Basic information: Route through coastal farmland, with small woodland groves and an interesting reedbed on the River Esteiro, which is home to small birds almost all year round. The entire area is a breeding ground for Phalacrocorax aristotelis, Corvus corax and Larus michahellis. Emberiza citrinella and Turdus viscivorus populations.
SPECIES OF INTEREST
No. of recorded species: 175
Iberian public (N): Puffinus gravis, Fulmarus glacialis, Fratercula arctica, Xema sabini, Stercorarius pomarinus, Plectrophenax nivalis
Iberian public (C, S & E): Uria aalge, Fratercula arctica, Stercorarius pomarinus, Stercorarius skua, Puffinus puffinus
European public (N): Puffinus mauretanicus, Puffinus gravis, Sylvia melanocephala, Cisticola juncidis, Emberiza cirlus
European public (C, S & E): Haematopus ostralegus, Uria aalge, Larus marinus, Gavia immer, Stercorarius pomarinus, Xema sabini
Occasional visitors: Thalassarche melanophris, Sula leucogaster, Pterodroma feae, Oceanites oceanicus, Chaetura pelagica
Best times: Migratory passage from July to November and from December to February
Level of difficulty: medium.
Duration: 2-3 hrs.
Basic information: Route at the extreme northern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, passing along the winding paths of the Estaca de Bares headland. Presence of migrating seabirds from August to December and passerines stopping off between August and December.
Loiba (Ortigueira/Mañón): Esteiro - O Picón - Burreiros - Loiba - Agrela - Montedónigo - Pumar do Valo - Esteiro
Level of difficulty: medium-low.
Duration: 3-4 hrs.
Basic information: Route through coastal farmland, with small woodland groves and an interesting reedbed on the River Esteiro, which is home to small birds almost all year round. The entire area is a breeding ground for Phalacrocorax aristotelis, Corvus corax and Larus michahellis. Emberiza citrinella and Turdus viscivorus populations.
SPECIES OF INTEREST
No. of recorded species: 175
Iberian public (N): Puffinus gravis, Fulmarus glacialis, Fratercula arctica, Xema sabini, Stercorarius pomarinus, Plectrophenax nivalis
Iberian public (C, S & E): Uria aalge, Fratercula arctica, Stercorarius pomarinus, Stercorarius skua, Puffinus puffinus
European public (N): Puffinus mauretanicus, Puffinus gravis, Sylvia melanocephala, Cisticola juncidis, Emberiza cirlus
European public (C, S & E): Haematopus ostralegus, Uria aalge, Larus marinus, Gavia immer, Stercorarius pomarinus, Xema sabini
Occasional visitors: Thalassarche melanophris, Sula leucogaster, Pterodroma feae, Oceanites oceanicus, Chaetura pelagica
Best times: Migratory passage from July to November and from December to February
Routes by car
Long route: Viveiro - Moreiras - Xilloi - O Vicedo - O Barqueiro - playa de Esteiro - Vila de Bares - Punta de Estaca de Bares (29 km)
Recommended between July and November.
From Viveiro, take the C-642 north to Moreiras and from there, via Vilasuso and A Casanova (Lanius collurio, Emberiza citrinella, Pyrrhula pyrrhula) towards Xilloi beach (Larus marinus, Phalacrocorax aristotelis, Phylloscopus ibericus), and then towards the harbour at O Vicedo (Podiceps nigricollis, Uria aalge, Alca torda).
Once in the centre of O Vicedo, get back on the C-642 heading towards O Barqueiro and then towards Esteiro beach and its reedbed (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus, Acrocephalus scirpaceus, Phylloscopus ibericus). Returning to Barqueiro, head north until reaching Vila de Bares (Corvus corax, Falco peregrinus, Saxicola rubetra), and then Punta da Estaca de Bares.
Sightings can be made in the reedbed (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus, Luscinia megarhynchos, Luscinia svecica), at Semáforo de Bares (Corvus corax, Saxicola rubetra, Phoenicurus phoenicurus) or in particular from the ornithological station (thousands of seabirds belonging to over 30 different species, especially between August and December).
Short route: Punta de Estaca de Bares - O Barqueiro - Ribeiras do Sor - Negradas - O Barqueiro (23 km)
From Punta de Estaca de Bares, a monitoring centre for the passage of thousands of seabirds a day (August - December), take the road towards Vila de Bares (Corvus corax, Falco peregrinus, Saxicola rubetra) and then to O Barqueiro; at the crossroads south of the village take the AC-4401 towards Ribeiras do Sor, passing through a wooded hillside (Pyrrhula pyrrhula, Scolopax rusticola, Pernis apivorus).
Approach Ribeiras do Sor and the river of the same name (Cinclus cinclus, Phylloscopus ibericus, Pyrrhula pyrrhula), crossing it by a small bridge and continuing towards Creximil and Negradas, which takes us past the Sor saltmarshes (Actitis hypoleucos, Cisticola juncidis, Acrocephalus schoenobaenus). Take a road northwards running parallel to the river to reach the C-642 and finish the route with a visit to O Barqueiro and its harbour (Alca torda, Uria aalge, Melanitta nigra).
Long route: Viveiro - Moreiras - Xilloi - O Vicedo - O Barqueiro - playa de Esteiro - Vila de Bares - Punta de Estaca de Bares (29 km)
Recommended between July and November.
From Viveiro, take the C-642 north to Moreiras and from there, via Vilasuso and A Casanova (Lanius collurio, Emberiza citrinella, Pyrrhula pyrrhula) towards Xilloi beach (Larus marinus, Phalacrocorax aristotelis, Phylloscopus ibericus), and then towards the harbour at O Vicedo (Podiceps nigricollis, Uria aalge, Alca torda).
Once in the centre of O Vicedo, get back on the C-642 heading towards O Barqueiro and then towards Esteiro beach and its reedbed (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus, Acrocephalus scirpaceus, Phylloscopus ibericus). Returning to Barqueiro, head north until reaching Vila de Bares (Corvus corax, Falco peregrinus, Saxicola rubetra), and then Punta da Estaca de Bares.
Sightings can be made in the reedbed (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus, Luscinia megarhynchos, Luscinia svecica), at Semáforo de Bares (Corvus corax, Saxicola rubetra, Phoenicurus phoenicurus) or in particular from the ornithological station (thousands of seabirds belonging to over 30 different species, especially between August and December).
Short route: Punta de Estaca de Bares - O Barqueiro - Ribeiras do Sor - Negradas - O Barqueiro (23 km)
From Punta de Estaca de Bares, a monitoring centre for the passage of thousands of seabirds a day (August - December), take the road towards Vila de Bares (Corvus corax, Falco peregrinus, Saxicola rubetra) and then to O Barqueiro; at the crossroads south of the village take the AC-4401 towards Ribeiras do Sor, passing through a wooded hillside (Pyrrhula pyrrhula, Scolopax rusticola, Pernis apivorus).
Approach Ribeiras do Sor and the river of the same name (Cinclus cinclus, Phylloscopus ibericus, Pyrrhula pyrrhula), crossing it by a small bridge and continuing towards Creximil and Negradas, which takes us past the Sor saltmarshes (Actitis hypoleucos, Cisticola juncidis, Acrocephalus schoenobaenus). Take a road northwards running parallel to the river to reach the C-642 and finish the route with a visit to O Barqueiro and its harbour (Alca torda, Uria aalge, Melanitta nigra).