T YOUR GUIDE TO T NATURAL PROTECTED SPACES IN FERROLTERRA ENGLISH 2 NATURAL PROTECTED SPACES IN FERROLTERRA Red Natura 2000 is a network of spaces protected by the European Union, created for the protection of the most important natural spaces and conserve its natural habitats and wild fauna and flora. It is composed of the Special Conservation Areas (ZEC) and Special Protection Spaces for Birds (ZEPAS) ZEC COSTA ÁRTABRA FERROL MUGARDOS ARES 3 ZEC COSTA ÁRTABRA ZEC ESTACA CARIÑO DE BARES MAÑÓN ZEC COSTA CEDEIRA ÁRTABRA ORTIGUEIRA ZEC ORTIGUEIRA- MERA CERDIDO VALDOVIÑO MOECHE ZEC XUVIA - CASTRO NARÓN SAN AS SOMOZAS NEDA SADURNIÑO FENE AS PONTES A CAPELA CABANAS ZEC SERRA DO XISTRAL PN FRAGAS PONTEDEUME DO EUME MONFERO VILARMAIOR 4 FRAGAS DO EUME NATURAL PARK Fragas do Eume is one of the best conserved Atlantic seaside forests in Europe. Its low population density explains the virgin state of these exuberant forests that follow the course of the Eume river Gold-striped salamander Chioglossa lusitanica (A Capela) along road AC- » LOCATION » GETTING THERE 564 which has access to A Fragas do Eume Natural Park The park has four established Ventureira hydroelectric is situated in the northwest points of access without power plant. In the tiny of A Coruña province, in the transport routes between village of As Neves there is a low part of the river Eume them. local official visitors centre. course. It has a surface of From Pontedeume: The Along the AC-564 road in the 9,126 hectares shared by itinerary goes from direction of As Pontes, in the the councils of Cabanas, A road DP-6902 to small village of Goente, there Capela, As Pontes, Monfero the river Eume, is a local road that goes to the and Pontedeume. where the natural dam of the river Eume. park visitor’s From Monfero: to reach office is situated Monfero Monastery, and in its where we can find the new final stretch visitors centre, drive from to Caaveiro Pontedeume, first along road Monastery. AC-144 which connects with From As Neves road DP-5003 all the way to the Monastery. » OTHER CATEGORIES OF PROTECTED AREAS Marten Special Area of Conservation Martes Special Protection Area for martes Natural Values 5 6 Mountain cat Felis silvestris Horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum Common frog Rana temporaria 7 THE BASIN IS ALSO HOME TO SPECIES OF IMPORTANT BOTANIC UNIQUENESS, RARE, THREATENED OR SURVIVORS FROM LONG GONE EPOCHS SUCH AS SOME FERN FROM THE TERTIARY PERIOD The basin of the river Eume, as it passes this zone, flows along an abrupt valley of deep gorges and steep slopes, in some cases with a steepness of 300 metres, such as the spectacular canyon seen behind the reservoir´s dam. The fragum of the Eume river hosts in its foothills, the most important White-throated dipper Cinclus cinclus example of Atlantic forest in Europe. The Galician oak tree prospers here as the protected species stand out: prevailing species, along Amphibians and reptiles are with small oaks, alders, one of the most important hazelnut trees, ash trees, values in this natural space. hawthorn, chestnut trees, There are more than one birch trees, holly trees and 100 species of birds, among strawberry trees, among which the Eagle Owl has others. The basin is also been cited, and no less than home to species of important 40 species of mammals, botanic uniqueness, rare, among which carnivores and threatened or survivors from bats stand out. long gone epochs such as some fern from the Tertiary Period. The variety of species of lichen and mosses is also exceptional. As far as the fauna is » ON THE NET concerned, the group is turismoferrolterra.es extremely diverse: among turismo.gal eumeturismo.org the invertebrates several 8 COSTA ÁRTABRA Magnus Portus Artabrorum is the name which the Romans gave a place to the northwestern angle of the Galician coast, between the Ares and the Ortigueira Estuaries, the exact location of which is unknown » LOCATION It goes from the Estuary of Ares to Cape Ortegal, belonging to the district of Ferrol and in some degree to Ortegal. It has a surface area of 7,546 hectares. » COUNCILS Ares, Mugardos, Ferrol, Narón, Valdoviño, Cedeira, Cariño and Ortigueira. » GETTING THERE The main Access points to the area of Covas-Doniños are the local roads near Ferrol. To enter the A Meirás-Valdoviño- Cedeira area take local roads AC-566 and AC-113 coming from Ferrol and Ribadeo. To get to the area Candieira point-A Capelada-cape Ortegal, take local roads and » OTHER SPECIAL PROTECTED DP2205 (Cariño-San Andres AREAS de Teixido) and DP 6121 (Mera- Area of Special Protection for Cariño-Viveiro- Natural Values Ribadeo). Area of Special Protection for Birds ( ZEPA Coast of Ferrolterra-Valdoviño). Protected Wetlands (Valdoviño lagoon and sandbank). Ramsar Wetlands (Valdoviño lagoon and sandbank). IBA (International Bird Goose necked barnacles Pollicipes pollicipes Area) 005 and 006 Costa de Ferrolterra-Valdoviño 9 In the southern end, on an extensive system of dunes horseback between the and rugged marine cliffs as Estuaries of Ares and Ferrol, we can see in the beaches of there flows a sinuous Doniños, San Xurxo, Santa riverbank, rich in contrasts Comba, Ponzos, Valdoviño, and seaside villages. Pantín and Vilarrube. To the north of the Estuary This stretch of coast is of Ferrol, in Prioriño Chico, characterized by coastal we can see the beginning lagoons such as A Frouxeira, of a high and rocky coast with its salty and superficial sprinkled by small capes water and influenced by a and wide open bays. In this regular marine influence, coast, we can observe a while the Doniños lagoon has succession of sandbanks with sweeter and deeper water. Sea-thistle Eryngium maritimum 10 European shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis Sanandresiño: amulet of breadcrumbs typical of San Andres de Teixido 11 determines the manifestation THIS STRETCH OF COAST of native plants (unique IS CHARACTERIZED BY in the world) and rare COASTAL LAGOONS SUCH vegetation in other parts of AS A FROUXEIRA, WITH ITS Galicia, many of them which SALTY AND SUPERFICIAL appear in dunes. WATER AND INFLUENCED Fauna is well represented in BY A REGULAR MARINE this area where native species INFLUENCE, WHILE THE DONIÑOS LAGOON HAS from the west of the Iberian SWEETER AND DEEPER Peninsula, amphibians and WATER reptiles, prevail, but bird life is also one of the main values of this area which The most abrupt stretch accommodates sea colonies begins in Cedeira, where the of European storm-petrel, sierra de A Capelada’s relief shag, and yellow-footed reaches heights above 500 gull, concentrating a large m forming spectacular sea variety of aquatic and marsh cliffs such as Vixía Herbeira’s birds. Here it is possible to (613m), where we can find see the threatened common San Andrés de Teixido bittern and Kentish plover as Sanctuary where, according in spring this area becomes to the legend, ( “He who an essential migration does not go while alive, refuge, especially for the will go when dead” ). dunlin and the bar-tailed Although there are godwit. not many islets here, some of them show Mariana mallard Anas platyrhynchos an important vertical development, thus forming amazing crags, such as those of Os Aguillóns in Cape Ortegal. In this space, there are two areas which are catalogued as being From top to bottom: international geological Sea-parsley points of interest -Punta Crithmum maritimum Candieira - Cape Ortegal Dragon mouth Complex and San Andrés de » ON THE NET Antirrhinum majus subsp. turismoferrolterra.es linkianum Teixido-. This geological and turismo.gal Sea-fern turferrol.com Asplenium marinum morphological variety 12 ORTIGUEIRA-MERA The end of the Mera and Baleo rivers as well as the numerous smaller rivers that flow into this beautiful, wide and flooded valley shape one of the biggest marshes in Galicia » LOCATION » COUNCILS The Special Area of Cariño, Ortigueira, Cerdido, Conservation, Ortigueira As Pontes de García Rodríguez - Mera is situated in the and As Somozas. Armeria Armeria pubigera extreme north of the province of A Coruña, district of » GETTING THERE Ortegal, and it extends into The main Access points to the the country through the Estuary and its surroundings municipalities of Cerdido, are the roads coming from As Pontes and As Somozas. Ferrol and Viveiro, and It has a surface area of 3,868 leading to the small towns of hectares Cariño and Ortigueira. In order to reach the inner part of this area: -the high basin of the Moorhen Gallinula chloropus River Mera- take the local road C-7010 (As Pontes de García Rodríguez - As Somozas). Blue rock thrush Monticola solitarius » OTHER CATEGORIES OF PROTECTED AREAS Special Protection Area for Natural Values Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA Ortigueira Estuary and Ladrido). Protected Wetlands ( Ortigueira Estuary and Ladrido). Ramsar Area Ortigueira Estuary and Ladrido). IBA (International Bird Area) 005 Costa de Ferrolterra- Valdoviño and IBA 006 Punta Candieira – Ría de Ortigueira – Estaca de Bares. Sea reed Juncus maritimus 13 The Special Conservation Estuary per se which is Area (ZEC) covers two a typical estuary of a IN THE OUTER PART, different zones to the north waterborne valley where WE FIND MOROUZOS of ría de Ortigueira and the river Mera meets the SANDBANK, THUS NAMED Ladrido, and the basin of sea and Ladrido cove, an DUE TO THE DARK COLOUR the River Mera to the south, estuary made of sedimentary OF ITS SAND a riverine like stretch with sandbars where the Baleo areas of woods and bushes. river ends. In low tide, the due to the dark colour of its The estuary like space is major part of the surface sand. Ortigueira Estuary and formed by the Ortigueira becomes a sandbank but in Ladrido make up the greater the better sheltered part of marshlands, rushes European nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus and interior and Galicia sea-prairies.