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Boada Wetlands
WEEKEND ROUTE
Palencia Province, Valladolid
INTERESTING SIGHTSEEING
- Tamariz de Campos Lagoon
- Fuentes de Nava Lagoon
- Boada Lagoon
- Pedraza de Campos Lagoon
- Nature Interpretation Centers at Fuentes de Nava and Boada de Campos.
- Canal of Castile
- “La Nava-Campo Sur” Special Bird Protection Area (
REPRESENTATIVE BIRDS
Water birds and steppe birds
SCHEDULE
Day 1
This route begins in the town of Cuenca de Campos. There is a viewpoint where you can watch lesser kestrels and there is also a traditional dovecote. The path to Tamariz de Campos comprises an auspicious area for watching steppe birds, mainly great bustards, little bustards and black-bellied sandgrouses.
The vicinity of Tamariz de Campos houses a lagoon of the same name. Preserving this lagoon as well as surrounding wet grasslands has permitted the restoration of an ecosystem that serves as an ecological corridor between Villafáfila lagoon and La Nava lagoon. Included within the “La Nava-Campos Sur” Special Bird Protection Area, this ecosystem provides an opportunity to observe grey herons, western marsh-harriers, garganeys, etc. Additionally, this is where the “Senda de las Avutardas” route begins.
Various alternatives are described below. All of them have Villarramiel as a meeting point.
One of the options involves walking along a very interesting track to watch a number of bird species native to the cereal plain, such as the great bustard, which, under normal conditions can be found in groups of up to fifty specimens. You must arrive at Guaza de Campos and walk through a section containing several dovecote complexes, which are rather interesting. On the way from Guaza de Campos to Frechilla, you will travel through huge plains that are home to other species of steppe birds, such as Montagu's harriers, chalk-browed mockingbirds and tawny pipits. This tour concludes in Fuentes de Nava.
It is highly recommended to go to the Visitor Center at La Nava lagoon, where you will see information panels and have the opportunity to watch a live broadcast through a camera that is located in the lagoon.
Once you’re in the parking lot, we suggest you to walk to the different observatories where you can observe numerous species of water birds.
Afterwards, you can travel an additional 15 km (9.3 miles) on the highway to Mazarriegos until you reach Pedraza de Campos. This is the beginning of a 2 km (1.2 miles) walk to Pedraza Lagoon. During this walk you’ll be able to see several species of steppe birds before reaching the lagoon. The bird observatory (closed in August-September) offers a great view of the entire lagoon. The spring season welcomes a myriad of shorebird species as well as migratory birds that make a stop at this location.
Day 2
Boada de Campos lies at the same distance as Fuentes de Nave. The Museum at Boada de Campos houses various expositions about the nearby wetland. It also has a several TV sets where you can watch what takes place in the wetland in real time. The observatory found in Boada lagoon is open year-round (except for the summer season, when the lagoon is dry) and facilitates observation of the bird species it contains.
Another option you can choose while at Villarramiel entails watching river birds as well as other birds that are typical to river environments. In Villarramiel, you must take the road to Boada de Campos. The first town you will find along the way is known as Capillas. This is the beginning of a trip that runs along the same path as the Canal of Castile. This trip introduces the visitor to the riverside ecosystem. During the mating season, visitors can easily observe numerous western Bonelli's warblers, nightingales, warblers and penduline-tits which rely on the riverside forests that run along this path. In Charca del Cruce you can easily watch reed warblers and bearded reedlings.
You can also arrive to Fuentes de Nave from Villarramiel. Along the way, you can make a stop in Autillo de Campos, where you can observe a number of passeriform birds that live in the marshlands and grasslands along the Valdejinate river.
Local Action Group: ARADUEY, ADRI (Association for Comprehensive Rural Development) NORTHERN VALLADOLID