FerrolTerra Tourism map
Bar Stake
The most northerly point of the Iberian Peninsula is a place of wild and captivating nature; of high cliffs whipped by the constant wind. Location: ZeC Estaca de Bares is located in the far north of the province of A Coruña, with a surface area of 852 ha. Municipalities: Mañón and Ortigueira. Access: From Ortigueira and Ribadeo (both on the local road AC862) there is a local road leading to the port of Bares. Other protected status: Special Area for the Protection of Natural Values. Natural Site of National Interest. IBa (International Bird area) 006 Punta Candieira - Ría de Ortigueira - Estaca de Bares. Estaca de Bares, located between the estuaries of Ortigueira and O Barqueiro, represents the northernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula and constitutes the geographical boundary between the Cantabrian Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The cape, very rugged, is surrounded by cliffs that at some points exceed 100 m in height. It has striking granite rocks and is covered with scrub vegetation and plants adapted to the marine ecosystem, with some Galician endemisms (unique in the world). The protected area extends as far as the cliffs of Loiba (Ortigueira), safeguarding beautiful and inaccessible beaches, and one of its main attractions is its scenic value. however, the importance of the area lies above all in the fact that it is one of the best European enclaves for observing the migration of marine birds. the autumn migration occurs mainly between the months of august and november, when the birds go to their wintering areas. several thousand birds have been counted every day, more than 250,000 individuals in a year. some of the most representative species are the gannet, shearwaters, cormorants, different species of gulls, the common scoter and the auk. the peregrine falcon breeds in the steeper parts of the cliffs.