Lugo Coast
Walking or bicycle routes
Ribadeo: Porto de Abaixo-Ove-Ribadeo-Illa Pancha
Level of difficulty: low.
Duration: 3-4 hrs.
Basic information: Route of interest along the western shore of the Ría de Ribadeo. Waterfowl on the estuary. Passerines resting during migration (Illa Pancha). Podiceps nigricollis overwintering in Ribadeo harbour. Passage of seabirds (from Illa Pancha).
Rinlo (Ribadeo): Vilaframil - San Xillao - Rinlo - Ribadeo aerodrome - O Outeiro - O Alto dos Pinos - Vilaframil
Level of difficulty: low.
Duration: 2-3 hrs.
Basic information: Route through open coastal flatlands. Migrant (Anthus trivialis, Motacilla flava) and overwintering passerines (Anthus richardi, Alauda arvensis). Occasional visits by waders (Himantopus himantopus, Tringa ochropus). Passage of seabirds (visible from Rinlo).
Ría de Foz: A Espiñeira - As Areosas - Mañente - A Tellada - Os Fondós - A Tellada - Vilaronte - Fonte Maior - Mixamor - A Espiñeira
Level of difficulty: low.
Duration: 2-3 hrs.
Basic information: Route of interest along the western bank of the Ría de Foz. Roosting sites for waders. Waterfowl and Eurasian Spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia) on the estuary. Passerines settling during migration (Fondós, Mañente).
Lago (Xove): As Casas Longas (Lago) - Lago fish farm - Lago wetland - Portiño de Morás - Punta de Moras - Portiño de Morás - O Vilar - Alto de Lago - As Casas Longas
Level of difficulty: low.
Duration: 2-3 hrs.
Basic information: A journey through an area with human influence in the municipality of Xove, with a fish farm, mines and harbour installations (including a former whaling factory). Water birds present on the Rego de Lago marsh, in a small wetland adjacent to the fish farm and opposite Lago beach. Seabird passage sighted opposite Punta de Morás. Passerines stopping off at the end of summer and in the autumn.
SPECIES OF INTEREST No. of recorded species: 235
Iberian public (N): Fratercula arctica, Calidris maritima, Plectrophenax nivalis, Branta bernicla
Iberian public (C, S & E): Uria aalge, Fratercula arctica, Stercorarius pomarinus, Stercorarius skua, Puffinus puffinus
European public (N): Puffinus mauretanicus, Sylvia melanocephala, Cisticola juncidis, Emberiza cirlus
European public (C, S & E): Haematopus ostralegus, Uria aalge, Larus marinus, Gavia immer
Occasional visitors: Anthus richardi, Larus glaucoides, Grus grus, Larus audouinii, Anas americana
Best times: From August to February, post-breeding and overwinter migration. May, pre-mating passage.
Level of difficulty: low.
Duration: 3-4 hrs.
Basic information: Route of interest along the western shore of the Ría de Ribadeo. Waterfowl on the estuary. Passerines resting during migration (Illa Pancha). Podiceps nigricollis overwintering in Ribadeo harbour. Passage of seabirds (from Illa Pancha).
Rinlo (Ribadeo): Vilaframil - San Xillao - Rinlo - Ribadeo aerodrome - O Outeiro - O Alto dos Pinos - Vilaframil
Level of difficulty: low.
Duration: 2-3 hrs.
Basic information: Route through open coastal flatlands. Migrant (Anthus trivialis, Motacilla flava) and overwintering passerines (Anthus richardi, Alauda arvensis). Occasional visits by waders (Himantopus himantopus, Tringa ochropus). Passage of seabirds (visible from Rinlo).
Ría de Foz: A Espiñeira - As Areosas - Mañente - A Tellada - Os Fondós - A Tellada - Vilaronte - Fonte Maior - Mixamor - A Espiñeira
Level of difficulty: low.
Duration: 2-3 hrs.
Basic information: Route of interest along the western bank of the Ría de Foz. Roosting sites for waders. Waterfowl and Eurasian Spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia) on the estuary. Passerines settling during migration (Fondós, Mañente).
Lago (Xove): As Casas Longas (Lago) - Lago fish farm - Lago wetland - Portiño de Morás - Punta de Moras - Portiño de Morás - O Vilar - Alto de Lago - As Casas Longas
Level of difficulty: low.
Duration: 2-3 hrs.
Basic information: A journey through an area with human influence in the municipality of Xove, with a fish farm, mines and harbour installations (including a former whaling factory). Water birds present on the Rego de Lago marsh, in a small wetland adjacent to the fish farm and opposite Lago beach. Seabird passage sighted opposite Punta de Morás. Passerines stopping off at the end of summer and in the autumn.
SPECIES OF INTEREST No. of recorded species: 235
Iberian public (N): Fratercula arctica, Calidris maritima, Plectrophenax nivalis, Branta bernicla
Iberian public (C, S & E): Uria aalge, Fratercula arctica, Stercorarius pomarinus, Stercorarius skua, Puffinus puffinus
European public (N): Puffinus mauretanicus, Sylvia melanocephala, Cisticola juncidis, Emberiza cirlus
European public (C, S & E): Haematopus ostralegus, Uria aalge, Larus marinus, Gavia immer
Occasional visitors: Anthus richardi, Larus glaucoides, Grus grus, Larus audouinii, Anas americana
Best times: From August to February, post-breeding and overwinter migration. May, pre-mating passage.
Routes by car
Long route: Covas - Viveiro - Xove - Sumoas - Lago wetland - Portiño de Morás - San Cibrao - Burela (41 km)
Recommended in the autumn (September - December).
The route begins at Covas beach (Gavia stellata, Podiceps nigricollis, Melanitta nigra), and heads east, skirting the Landrove estuary (Podiceps nigricollis, Larus melanocephalus, Tringa nebularia), the centre of Viveiro (Larus argentatus, Phoenicurus ochruros, Emberiza cirlus), and reaching the harbour at Celeiro (Larus marinus, Larus hyperboreus, Larus argentatus).
Further on, passing the Alto do Cruceiro (Emberiza citrinella, Phoenicurus ochruros, Regulus ignicapilla), you come to the centre of Xove, taking the road towards Xuances (Lanius collurio, Cisticola juncidis, Emberiza cirlus) and then towards Morás and its harbour and quarry (Sylvia melanocephala, Fratercula arctica, Plectrophenax nivalis).
Going towards San Cibrao, pass by the fish farm at Lago (Larus cachinnans, Larus argentatus, Larus canus), and stop briefly at Lago beach (Gavia immer, Melanitta nigra, Podiceps nigricollis), then making eastwards to reach this village in the municipality of Xove and its fortified Castro da Atalaia (Plectrophenax nivalis, Sylvia melanocephala, Calidris maritima).
Carrying on, aim for Burela, crossing the River Covo and the first examples of north-coast flatlands in Espiñeirido and Cervo (Falco tinnunculus, Cisticola juncidis, Phoenicurus phoenicurus), before finally reaching Burela and its harbour (Larus marinus, Larus hyperboreus, Larus argentatus), where you can see post-mating migrations (Puffinus mauretanicus, Morus bassanus, Uria aalge).
Short route: Porto de Abaixo-Ribadeo-Barreiros-Foz (33 km)
More productive in winter (December - February).
From Porto de Abaixo (Ribadeo), and the reedbeds of the estuary (Lymnocryptes minimus, Rallus aquaticus, Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), follow the western bank of the Ría de Ribadeo, to the Ove bird monitoring centre (Anas penelope, Anas acuta, Anas americana), and then on to the centre of Ribadeo and its Illa Pancha lighthouse (Anthus richardi, Cisticola juncidis, Phalacrocorax aristotelis).
On the way back to Ribadeo town centre, take the N-634 road towards Vilaframil, then turning off to Rinlo (Anthus richardi, Emberiza calandra, Cisticola juncidis). Once again on the N-634, carry on towards Barreiros and the end of the Ría de Foz in A Espiñeira (Numenius arquata, Anas rubripes, Anas penelope).
Look for the paths that run beside the western bank of the river estuary (Platalea leucorodia, Branta bernicla, Anas crecca), eventually coming to Foz town centre and its harbour (Gavia immer, Phalacrocorax aristotelis, Uria aalge).
Recommended in the autumn (September - December).
The route begins at Covas beach (Gavia stellata, Podiceps nigricollis, Melanitta nigra), and heads east, skirting the Landrove estuary (Podiceps nigricollis, Larus melanocephalus, Tringa nebularia), the centre of Viveiro (Larus argentatus, Phoenicurus ochruros, Emberiza cirlus), and reaching the harbour at Celeiro (Larus marinus, Larus hyperboreus, Larus argentatus).
Further on, passing the Alto do Cruceiro (Emberiza citrinella, Phoenicurus ochruros, Regulus ignicapilla), you come to the centre of Xove, taking the road towards Xuances (Lanius collurio, Cisticola juncidis, Emberiza cirlus) and then towards Morás and its harbour and quarry (Sylvia melanocephala, Fratercula arctica, Plectrophenax nivalis).
Going towards San Cibrao, pass by the fish farm at Lago (Larus cachinnans, Larus argentatus, Larus canus), and stop briefly at Lago beach (Gavia immer, Melanitta nigra, Podiceps nigricollis), then making eastwards to reach this village in the municipality of Xove and its fortified Castro da Atalaia (Plectrophenax nivalis, Sylvia melanocephala, Calidris maritima).
Carrying on, aim for Burela, crossing the River Covo and the first examples of north-coast flatlands in Espiñeirido and Cervo (Falco tinnunculus, Cisticola juncidis, Phoenicurus phoenicurus), before finally reaching Burela and its harbour (Larus marinus, Larus hyperboreus, Larus argentatus), where you can see post-mating migrations (Puffinus mauretanicus, Morus bassanus, Uria aalge).
Short route: Porto de Abaixo-Ribadeo-Barreiros-Foz (33 km)
More productive in winter (December - February).
From Porto de Abaixo (Ribadeo), and the reedbeds of the estuary (Lymnocryptes minimus, Rallus aquaticus, Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), follow the western bank of the Ría de Ribadeo, to the Ove bird monitoring centre (Anas penelope, Anas acuta, Anas americana), and then on to the centre of Ribadeo and its Illa Pancha lighthouse (Anthus richardi, Cisticola juncidis, Phalacrocorax aristotelis).
On the way back to Ribadeo town centre, take the N-634 road towards Vilaframil, then turning off to Rinlo (Anthus richardi, Emberiza calandra, Cisticola juncidis). Once again on the N-634, carry on towards Barreiros and the end of the Ría de Foz in A Espiñeira (Numenius arquata, Anas rubripes, Anas penelope).
Look for the paths that run beside the western bank of the river estuary (Platalea leucorodia, Branta bernicla, Anas crecca), eventually coming to Foz town centre and its harbour (Gavia immer, Phalacrocorax aristotelis, Uria aalge).