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Laguardia has two natural freshwater
wetlands and an artificial pool, all of which are of extraordinary
biological and ecological interest and for this reason they
have been declared a Protected Biotope.
This Protected Biotope is located in the centre of the Rioja
Alavesa, near the walled village of Laguardia from which it
can be seen. It contains four small wetlands. Three of them,
Carralogroņo, Carravalseca and Musco are natural lagoons,
while the fourth, the Prao de la Paul, is a small reservoir
created in an area subject to flooding.
The Carralogroņo and Carravalseca lagoons are the last of
a series of wetlands that were drained of water in order to
use the land for growing crops. This would have been the fate
of the Musco lagoon, which was drained, dried out and cultivated
until its declaration as a Biotope, when work began on its
restoration.
These wetlands are home to a number of extremely rare plants
and algae and on the edges of the lagoons there are herbaceous
plants and reeds that have adapted to the salt water. Dense
reed beds cover wide areas of the reserve, mainly in Carralogroņo,
providing shelter for a large number of birds.
Although the Biotope can be visited throughout the year, the
largest number of birds can be seen between September and
March. The lagoons of Laguardia are a favourite stopping place
for migrating aquatic birds. Up to 118 different species have
been counted over a one-year period and include species such
as cormorants, herons, cattle egrets, mandarin ducks, glossy
ibis and purple herons. There are also nesting birds such
as grebes, the red crested pochard, the water rail, moorhens,
coots and mallards.
The best wetlands for visiting is the Prao de la Paul. There
is a track that runs along the edge, equipped with hides for
birdwatching.
The area around the Biotope is also well worth a visit as
this is where the wine of the Rioja Alavesa is produced. This
area also has a large number of important historical monuments,
such as the archaeological sites of the Poblado de la Hoya,
Dolmen de la Hechicera, the burial grounds of San Juan Ante
Portam-Latinam, the medieval villages of Laguardia, Labastida
Labraza, etc., Museums, etc. |
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