The Puente Ajuda route allows us to explore an important section of the LIC (Site of Community Importance) Río Guadiana Internacional, which occupies the border stretch of the Guadiana River between t... (plus +)

The Puente Ajuda route allows us to explore an important section of the LIC (Site of Community Importance) Río Guadiana Internacional, which occupies the border stretch of the Guadiana River between the province of Badajoz and Portugal. Currently, this stretch constitutes one of the tails of the Alqueva Reservoir. The Puente Ajuda, which gives its name to the route, was built in 1509 and connected Olivenza with Elvas, being destroyed and rebuilt several times due to the armed conflicts between both countries. START From Olivenza, we will follow the signs towards Puente Ajuda, through the EX105. About 12 km before reaching the river, we will turn right to reach the remains of the bridge, where the route begins. ROUTE After contemplating the landscape from the viewpoint or the top of the bridge ruins, we descend along one of its edges to the water's edge to start the downstream route, that is, towards the left. Both from the bridge and during almost the entire route, we can see numerous species of birds associated with this aquatic environment, such as great cormorant, black-headed and lesser black-backed gulls, common and spotted sandpipers, various species of herons, kingfishers, and mallards. Otters are abundant, and the bridge ruins are home to a colony of jackdaws. We pass under the EX105 bridge and after it, we leave the shore for a moment, ascending along a path to the left which, after two right turns, returns us to the riverbank. We walk along an earth embankment on which holm oaks stand, keeping the river to the right. A varied and wild vegetation composed of ash trees, willows, brooms, wild roses, hawthorns, brambles, reeds, and rushes, which shelters a spectacular number of passerines. Examples of these are tits, coal tits, blackbirds, warblers, sparrows, robins, buntings, greenfinches, and goldfinches, nightingales, shrikes, and bee-eaters' nests excavated in the earth. Little by little, the pastureland to our left becomes more extensive, with an abundance of birds such as turtledoves, pigeons, penduline tits, and hoopoes. Looking towards the river, we will appreciate some of the effects that the increase in water level, due to the construction of the Alqueva dam (Portugal), has had on the riverbed, such as the roofs of some old mills that have been submerged or the hundreds of dead trees that emerge from the waters and serve as perches for the birds. At a certain point, the path becomes an ascending trail that leads us to a power transformer, which we must skirt and then pass through a fence to reach a new path that we will follow to the right. Shortly after, we must cross another fence to access a track that allows us to continue along the river. Here we can observe bird species such as larks, crested larks, goldfinches, white wagtails, black-eared wheatears, stone-curlews, and, in winter, golden plovers and lapwings. We reach a road that, following to the left, takes us to Villareal de Olivenza, where we can rest and have a drink. After the bus stop, a path to the left allows us to continue the route, crossing cultivated fields, a usual hunting ground for lesser kestrels and black-winged kites. After a little less than a kilometer, we enter a beautiful pasture of large holm oaks and cork oaks. In addition to many of the bird species already mentioned, it is also possible to observe groups of red-billed queleas. At a crossroads, we head left towards Cortijo de La Peña, where the circular section of the route ends and allows us to return the way we came to Puente Ajuda. We have the option of using the Faunistic Observatory Dormidero de Alqueva, which is located nearby. At the height of a light hut, the path moves away from the river to enter the pastureland. We pass by Cortijo de La Peña, cross a stream, and ascend until we reach a path perpendicular to the one we are on. At this point, the circular section of the route begins, and we head to the right, towards the river. Once again, near the water, flying over it or perched, we can see raptors such as the western marsh harrier, the black kite, or the osprey during the migration season. On the opposite bank of the river, on a gentle hill, stands the Portuguese fort of Juromenha, which has been used since the Middle Ages to defend the Spanish-Portuguese border. Upon reaching La Fábrica, we leave the river again and, ascending gently, we enter treeless lands occupied by crops.
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