The Gándaras of Budiño:
Buried wetlands
You will walk through the Gándaras de Budiño: an area of forest associated with watercourses and wetlands, generated by the lakes and lagoons that have been created in the fluvial terraces of the Louro River in the valley area.
The Louro forms one of the largest valleys in Galicia thanks to the depression that appears between the O Galiñeiro and Cans-Budiño mountain ranges. Its silt is an excellent substrate for endemic plants and its fresh water attracts numerous native and migratory animal species.
Did you know that near La Lagoa, between the villages of Eidos and O Casal de Budiño, there is an important archaeological site dating back to between 18,000 and 26,000 BC? It is one of the oldest in the Iberian Peninsula!
Recomendations:
Enjoy the lagoons in the observatories of the area.
Observe the valley and the Faro de Budiño mountain range to the north-east.
Nearby QRs:
Websites of interest:
https://oporrino.org/turismo/rutas-de-sendeirismo/ribeira-do-louro-gandaras-de-budino/
https://turismoriasbaixas.com/gl/recursopan1?content=280380822
More information:
In the extensive plain that it formed twenty million years ago and crosses Galicia from North to South, (from Carballo to Tui), the Louro River finds the perfect area to carry its waters to the Miño River. This has led to the development of a series of wetlands favoured by the seasonal flooding of the river. It is a Red Natura 2000 area and a meeting point for ornithologists and nature lovers.
The name gándara comes from the floristic association of wet heathland on clayey substratum. Areas of peat bogs, seasonal and permanent lagoons, flooded meadows, more than 150 species of vertebrates, including 80 species of nesting waterfowl and one of the best representations of the riparian forest in Galicia. It also has cultural heritage, such as “poldras” and “pontellas”, as well as sites that provide information about human settlements.
The downside of the place is the great industrial pressure it suffers, as one of the largest industrial parks in Galicia is located nearby, where many of its discharges went directly into the river and lagoons.