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La Estepa

Rihuelo



Technical Data

As we have already mentioned in other sections, steppe habitats and their surroundings are areas of large land, extensive crops almost always rainfed interspersed with fallow land and grasslands. Places where we hardly find a few trees and although at first glance they may seem uninhabited, they are home to a multitude of species that have been linked since ancient times to the traditional uses of human beings and are disappearing due to changes in agriculture. In Alfaro we can still visit some areas where this coexistence is still present.


  • Distance

    6,7 km

  • Duration

    2h

  • Type

    Mixed (Lineal+Circular)

  • Difficulty

    Low

  • Time of the year

    All

  • Entrance

    Parking

  • Final

    Parking

  • Signaling

    No


It is recommended to wear comfortable clothing appropriate to the weather and terrain conditions. Park your vehicle in the parking enabled for it. The itinerary takes place within a natural space. Please be especially respectful.

Description

The tour that we propose in this route is a loop of about 7 km in which we will cross one of the last steppe areas of La Rioja. During the tour we will cross areas of vineyards and dry land crops interspersed with some wild land. The route starts and ends at the car park, which is located near the warehouse that we come across as soon as we go up to Rihuelo. The first part of the route runs along a long straight line in which, walking between different types of crops, we can begin to get an idea of the characteristics and exceptional nature of this type of habitat. We will arrive at a crossroads of several paths, we must go along the one that, leaving some vineyards on the left and on the right the nave of a winery will take us to the "Balsa de Portil de Lobos". Taking into account the long periods of drought in this area, especially in the summer, these irrigation ponds are very important for the fauna, being a meeting place for many species that collect the valuable liquid throughout the day. Once we have passed the irrigation pond, we will arrive at a crossroads where we must take the path to the right and which, gaining a little height at the beginning and then descending the hill, will take us through a mixture of different uses of the land that give this area a singular beauty. Once we are in the lower part, we will only have to go back up the path that is to our right at the intersection to return to the straight line that, in the opposite direction to the previous one, will take us back to the starting point.


There are times of the year that depending on the state of the roads, it is possible to make the journey by car

Estepas de Rihuelo

Rihuelo is the area that best represents the survival of the Rioja steppes, here we find hills with low scrub and saline soils interspersed with vineyards and crops. This place is the last redoubt in the region of various species of steppe birds such as stone curlews, shy sandgrouse or the endangered and scarce little bustard.

Birdwatching

Data obtained from the eBird platform
Red-billed Chough 3 24/03/2024
Eurasian Kestrel 1 24/03/2024
Eurasian Magpie 2 24/03/2024
Western Marsh Harrier 2 24/03/2024
Red Kite 1 24/03/2024
Golden Eagle 1 24/03/2024
Gray Heron 1 24/03/2024
Eurasian Coot 5 24/03/2024
Calandra Lark 5 24/03/2024
Thekla's Lark 3 24/03/2024
Mallard 4 24/03/2024
Eurasian Linnet 7 24/03/2024
Little Grebe 8 24/03/2024
European Goldfinch 5 24/03/2024
European Stonechat 2 24/03/2024
Spotless Starling 9 24/03/2024
Barn Swallow 2 24/03/2024
Crested Lark 6 24/03/2024
Eurasian Hoopoe 1 23/03/2024
Black Kite 3 23/03/2024

Birdwatching

Along this route there are many species of birds that we can observe, larks, goldfinches, swallows, warblers, wagtails, crows, red-billed choughs, are present throughout the different fields that we go through. Birds of prey are common, with sightings of species such as buzzards, common kestrels, kites, marsh harriers, griffon vultures, even the majestic flight of the golden eagle controlling its territory. Characteristic species of the steppe environments such as the stone curlew, the pin-tailed sandgrouse or the black-bellied sandgrouse are also present in the area. With great luck, it is still possible to observe the little bustard resting in these fields, which is another incentive to get lost in these lands in search of its curious inhabitants.



Complete list

List of birds

Alectoris rufa

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE

Alectoris rufa Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Columbia livia

ROCK PIGEON

Columbia livia Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Columba palumbus

COMMON WOOD-PIGEON

Columba palumbus Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Pterocles alchata

PIN-TAILED SANDGROUSE

Pterocles alchata Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Pterocles orientalis

BLACK-BELLIED SANDGROUSE

Pterocles orientalis Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Apus apus

COMMON SWIFT

Apus apus Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Grus grus

COMMON CRANE

Grus grus Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Burhinus oedicnemus

EURASIAN THICK-KNEE

Burhinus oedicnemus Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Vanellus vanellus

NORTHERN LAPWING

Vanellus vanellus Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Ciconia nigra

BLACK STORK

Ciconia nigra Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Ciconia ciconia

WHITE STORK

Ciconia ciconia Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Gyps fulvus

GRIFFON VULTURE

Gyps fulvus Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Hieraaetus pennatus

BOOTED EAGLE

Hieraaetus pennatus Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Circus aeruginosus

EURASIAN MARSH-HARRIER

Circus aeruginosus Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Milvus milvus

RED KITE

Milvus milvus Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Milvus migrans

BLACK KITE

Milvus migrans Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Buteo buteo

COMMON BUZZARD

Buteo buteo Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Merops apiaster

European Bee-eater

Merops apiaster Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Falco tinnunculus

EURASIAN KESTREL

Falco tinnunculus Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Pica pica

EURASIAN MAGPIE

Pica pica Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Corvus corone

CARRION CROW

Corvus corone Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Galerida cristata

CRESTED LARK

Galerida cristata Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Hirundo rustica

BARN SWALLOW

Hirundo rustica Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Sylvia hortensis

WESTERN ORPHEAN WARBLER

Sylvia hortensis Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Sylvia melanocephala

SARDINIAN WARBLER

Sylvia melanocephala Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Oenanthe hispanica

WESTERN BLACK-EARED WHEATEAR

Oenanthe hispanica Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Passer domesticus

HOUSE SPARROW

Passer domesticus Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Passer montanus

EURASIAN TREE SPARROW

Passer montanus Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Motacilla alba

WHITE WAGTAIL

Motacilla alba Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Linaria cannabina

EURASIAN LINNET

Linaria cannabina Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Carduelis carduelis

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET
Miliaria calandra

CORN BUNTING

Miliaria calandra Icono Ribera Icono Carrizal Icono Estepa Icono Bosque Mediterráneo SEE SHEET