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Ría de Ortigueira and Ladrido

Ortigueira, Ortegal, A Coruña

1 Villages · 6 Monuments · 7 Nature · 4 Activities · 2 Curiosities · 2 Historical milestones · 2 Food and drink

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Ría de Ortigueira and Ladrido

Nature · Ortigueira, Ortegal, A Coruña

Ría de Ortigueira and Ladrido

An estuary of about 3,000 hectares with salt marshes, intertidal flats and dune systems, listed under the Ramsar Convention in 1989; between 6,000 and 7,000 birds winter here, including wigeons, oystercatchers, curlews and grey plovers. Also known as the Ría de Santa Marta de Ortigueira, it lies wedged between the Capelada and Coriscada mountain ranges, which culminate at Cabo Ortegal and Estaca de Bares, and it is formed by the Mera river, whose tributary the Baleo gives rise to the small Ría de Ladrido. It is about 10 kilometres long and up to 3 wide, and its interior empties almost completely at low tide, exposing a wide plain of silt and mud. The oceanic climate has given way on its banks to eucalyptus monoculture, although patches of willows, birches, chestnuts and oaks survive.

Photo: Ramon Piñeiro (CC BY-SA 2.0)

What to see and do in Ortigueira