Lagunas de Villafafila

Saline wetland reserve north of Zamora, one of Castile's best places for bustards and migratory birds.

The Lagunas de Villafafila are the birding counterpoint to Zamora's stone churches. These shallow saline lagoons sit in the open cereal country north of the city, drawing aquatic, steppe, and migratory birds that are hard to see from a medieval street corner.

The reserve is especially worthwhile for patient travellers with binoculars, and for anyone hoping to see great bustards in the plains of Castile. Go for quiet roads, hides, and wide horizons rather than dramatic mountain scenery.

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