Introduction
Along the River
Guadiana we find a breathtaking
landscape with an extraordinary
scenery. Being at the Spanish
province of Huelva on the east
side of the river, or the Portuguese
banks at the west side, it is
an experience never to forget.
On this homepage you will find
all sorts of information on some
of the different areas that cover
the eastern Algarve and the Spanish
province Huelva:
- Ayamonte
- Monte Gordo
- Alcoutim
- Sanlucar de Guadiana
- Donana National Park
- Gibraleon
- Punta Umbria
Just to mention a few. The
different areas are catagorized
under the links you see at the
left side of this page. Enjoy
this virtual trip through the
area and I hope to see you here
some time! |
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Ayamonte
The fishing port town of Ayamonte
is located in the most western
zone of Andalusia, on the mouth
of the Guadiana river, that
serves as a border with Portugal.
Ayamonte has a population of
more than 18,000 inhabitants,
(which increases considerably
during the vacation times) and
is united by train with the
capital of the province, Huelva;
with the Andalusian capital,
Seville and withPortugal.
On the banks of Ayamonte is
the River Guadiana which is
Europe's second longest river
and is soon to be the site of
Europe's largest reservoir.
From its mouth at Ayamonte,
the river is now only navigable
for about 40 miles as far as
Mertola.
Some of the towns along the
river banks can be traced back
as far as the Bronze Age and
up until the middle of the last
century, the river was an important
commercial route bringing traffic
from the sea to the interior
of the Peninsular.
The port of Sanlucar de Guadiana
gained prominence in the first
half of the nineteenth century
when it was used as a base to
export such crops as rice, soap,
lead and wood. Now, however,
the only boats to be seen are
those of visiting yachtsmen
and the local fishermen who
live in the village.
The surrounding areas are renowned
for their now dormant mines
and the Rio Tinto mines are
reputed to be the oldest mines
in the world. According to myth,
these are the fabled mines of
King Solomon.
Ayamonte unifies all distinctive
features of a tourist city:
excellent beaches, like those
of Isla Canela and the Punta
del Moral, splendid landscapes
at the foot of the Guadiana
an unbelievable artistic cultural
asset with unique and privilege
at the border to Portugal.
Nature is interesting in the
area of Ayamonte. An absolute
recommendation is the ascent
as far as to the place Sa
car at the river Guadiana.
An agreeable walk is the ascent
at the Guadiana, with which
one can enjoy the beauty of
Spain and Portugal.
The swamps of the Isla Canela
are populated by diverse birds.
The seafaring quarter of the
Punta del Moral has a quite
particular charm.
The marina is adjacent to the
village of Pinillos and is approached
via a canal from the river.
It is subject to some swell.
There is an anchorage in the
bay beyond the ferry terminal
and fish quays, but landing
is difficult from here. |
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Monte
Gordo
Lying
just 3 km to the west of frontier
town Vila Real de Santo Antonio,
the once sleepy fishing village
of Monte Gordo is the last in
a long line of popular beach resorts
in the Eastern Algarve.
Bright and cheerful, the town
has developed considerably as
a holiday destination in recent
years, catering for Portuguese
and foreign visitors alike.
Its fishing tradition lives on
as wives in housecoats emerge
from newly-built houses to receive
the best of the fresh catch from
local fishermen, who still ride
bicycles through the streets to
deliver their orders.
What to see.
Opened in July 1996, the towns
glittering casino features a
modern gaming room, more than
200 slot machines and a nightly
floorshow.
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Alcoutim
and Sanlucar de Guadiana.
From Vila Real
de Santo Antonio, at the Atlantic
Ocean on the banks of the River
Guadiana, you travel northwards
to Castro Marim where there
is a large Nature Reserve where
amongst others thousands of
Flamingoas spend their time
feeding. Further upriver at
Alamo there is an old Roman
Village and the remains of Roman
river works. A local museum
at Guerreiros Do Rio tells the
story of the river and the fishermen
who work from its shore. The
history of the border village
of Alcoutim has always been
linked to the river and it looks
directly across to its Spanish
neighbour, Sanlacar de Guadiana.
Visit the restored Castle which
is an archaeological museum
and the Church of St Salvador.
When
you are alone on the way up
the Rio Guadiana you get the
feeling you're on expedition
into something like the Orinoco,
then suddenly a few other yachts
are there as well: there are
two villages here. The Portuguese
one is called Alcoutim. The
Spanish castle above the town
is straight out of the Foreign
Legion and looks very impressive.
It's high on the hillside and
dominates the area. In the villages
storks are feeding their young
on great nests on the bright
white washed red roofed houses.
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| Donana
National Park Donana
is the most important Natural
Park in Spain. Travel through
the nature horsebacking the
wonderful "marismas",
with an exclusive fauna and
flora. The is to be found deep
in the West of Andalucia,
in the South of Spain. The national
reserve is managed at present
by the Ministerio de Medio Ambiente,
with 50.720 hectares and it
is caracterized by the presence
of three tipes of ecosystems:
- Forest and mediterrenian
bush
- Mobile Dunes
- Swamps
In this area we find Mediterranean
bush, seasonal swamps, aridity
and watered cultives and humid
zones transformed in rice fields.
Hectares of rivers, pools, canals
and lagoons, 7.000 Ha of coast
dunes, 43.000 Ha of pine forests
and 24.000 Ha of bush.
Donana is a habitat for 875
plant species and 226 animal
species (birds, fishes, amphibious,
reptiles and mammals famous
for its wild horses-, all protected).
Donana is a winter area for
more of six millions of migratory
birds: espain, flamencos, moritos,
avocetas o ¡nsares. Of
this last specie there are until
60.000 units, coming from European
countries like Holland, Germany,
Sweden or Denmark. In Donana
we can find the last Lince iberico
(most threatened in the world
feline) and the Imperial eagle,
both of endemic species in extinction
danger |
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Punta
Umbria
The
swamp of the Odiel are the second
big moist area of Huelva and
is 7.150 hectares, that the
natural reserves of this read,
of Marismas del Burro and de
la Isla de Enmedio big integrates.
In order to visit this area,
it is necessary to announce
with the authorities, then,
one can a trip on foot or per
boat undertakes. After this
area, we find Punta Umbria,
at another beach of the coast
of Huelva.
With boats or
canoes, one can reach Punta
Umbria over the waterway from
also Huelva from. At the fishery
harbor, one can watch their
catch property like the fishers
daily pure-brings. The Salts
Factory from the time of the
Roman Imperial (La Peguera)
with a watchtower from the year
XVII is artistically appears.
From English colonial time,
even many constructions of this
area come. The near situated
highway allows the visitor to
reach the capital in about 15
min. Also the airports Sevilla
and Faro are to be reached fast
over the highway.
The Paseo Maratimo,
on the estuary side of the peninsular,
has a bustling port which houses
one of the largest fishing fleets
in the area. Along this promenade,
bobbing fishing boats of all
shapes and sizes can be seen,
there is even an old riverboat,
the Chimbuito, which has been
refitted as a cafe bar. The
Paseo Maratimo culminates
in the Plaza Parez Pastor, lined
with delightful seafood restaurants. |
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Gibraleon
Marismas del Odiel Natural
Beauty Spot and Nature Reserve,
declared a Biosphere Reserve
by UNESCO, this interesting
marshy area of 7,185 hectares,
is situated at the mouth of
the river Odiel, between the
towns of Huelva, Gibraleon,
Aljaraque and Punta Umbria,
from which places access to
the park can be gained. In the
interior there are the Nature
Reserves of the Salt Marshes
of El Burro, of 597 hecta¡res
and that of Isla de Enmedio,
480 hectares, which are notable
for the degree of preservation
of their ecosystems.
Flora and Fauna
Flora
In the sandy ecosystems of the
wetland areas there are salt
cedars (Tamarix canariensis),
black juniper (Juniperus phoenicea),
kermes oak (Quercus coccifera),
lentiscus (Pistacia lentiscus),
Halimium halimifolium, rockroses
(Cistus salvifolius) and rosemary
(Rosmarinus officinalis). In
areas of low recent salt marshes
Spartina maratima and Salicornia
ramosissima appear. In the high
salt arshes there are such characteristic
species as Arthrocnemum macrostachyum
and the singular Spartina densiflora.
At the points of origin of the
streams and in the peripheral
swamps a marshy vegetation grows,
made up principally of rushes
(Juncus acutus y Juncus maritimus),
bullrushes (Thypha dominguensis)
and tamarisks (Tamarix canariensis).
Fauna
Odiel is an obligatory stopping
place for thousands of migratory
birds. It is home to 30 % of
the European population of spoonbills.
Also there is the grey heron
(Ardea cinerea), the purple
heron (Ardea purpurea) and the
marsh harrier (Circus aeroginosus).
During the wintertime thousands
of aquatic birds gather here;
especially a large number of
flamingos, about 2,000. Occasionally
the black stork (Ciconia nigra),
the Plegadis falcinellus and
the crane (Grus grus) can be
seen. We can also find the chameleon
(in the sandy parts of the Saltes
islands) and the lynx (in the
wooded area Campo Coma). |
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