Stage 16: Oyón/Oion - Mendavia
Description
This Section begins in Río Grande Park at Oyón/Oion (430 m). The route runs along the A-2126 until it turns onto Santa Lucía Street to the left, passes through an industrial area, and reaches an eastbound farm road. This road joins the Camino Viejo de Moreda, which continues to the left. Immediately after, it turns right onto a dirt track that climbs down to a stream bed, leaving a hut to the right.
Soon after, on barren ground, the route turns left and climbs up a depression, disregarding an offshoot road to the left, then turns south onto another track that heads down to the N-111, along which it will continue until it reaches a paper manufacturer. (This part of the route overlaps the Way of St. James.) The route turns off onto a dirt road and ventures into the Embalse de las Cañas Nature Reserve (6.1 km, 1hr 20min), an endorheic lake enlarged with dykes 30 years ago.
The Reserve is the winter home for some twenty species of birds, including mallard, teal, pochard, coot, heron and great crested grebe. In 1987, it was declared a Nature Reserve, as well as an SCI, SPA and RAMSAR Wetland of Community Interest. The observatory of El Bordón is located here. The SL-NA 182 A circles the lagoon, allowing the visitors to enjoy the entire Reserve.
The route continues east below the observatory at the lagoon, through cultivated landscape, to Camino de las Cuevas, which runs north to Viana, and south to the NA-134. Near several houses, it crosses the road towards the Ebro in search of Mendavia Canal, which begins in Sabuquera Woodlands, next to a reservoir, a weir and the sluice.
This poplar populated area gives way to a lush enclave, the Sabuquera and Los Americanos woodlands, where the river forms a large meander. After about two kilometres, near Cárcar power station and Recajo meander (on the opposite bank), the Ebro Nature Trail turns north, and heads , through vineyards, towards Venta de Jalón and Vega Winery.
Past the winery, it continues due east towards a timber factory and the Ebro, until it reaches the power station at Mendavia Canal. The route follows the track parallel to the river, through Galindo and El Chopal groves, and then ventures into El Tamarigal grove and power station (18 km, 3hr 50min). From here, it heads down a path to the left of the canal, through El Tamarigal woodland, of which only a few remnant tamarisks survive. The road ventures a few metres into La Rioja, where the Veldegón Agricultural Research Centre is located next to a meander in the Ebro. Back in Navarre, the route crosses a new walkway over a stream, climbs up a jetty and, immediately after, heads down to the left, through a poplar grove, onto a paved path that leads to the riverbank. Here it runs along the Río Nuevo Canal, its sluices, the Vuelta del Ebro and La Veguilla woodland.
The GR 99 runs through an alluvial terrace, descends to a poplar grove, and reaches the former Mendivia vegetable gardens, where it turns south. Following the riparian vegetation, the route reaches a track that links with Section 17 (29.1 km, 6hr 5min) and gives access to the 13th century shrine of Legarda.
Mendavia (340 m, 30.9 km, 6hr 25min), with the parish church of San Juan Bautista, its walls and emblazoned houses, lies to the north.
Sites of interest
Profile
MIDE (Method for the Information of Excursions)
Harshness of natural environment- 1. The environment is not risk-free
- 2. There are more than one risk factors
- 3. There are various risk factors
- 4. There are quite a lot of risk factors
- 5. There are many risk factors
Guidance along the route- 1. Well defined trails and crossings
- 2. There is a clearly marked trail and signage
- 3. Requires the identification of geographic features and cardinal points
- 4. Requires off-path navigation
- 5. The trail is interrupted by obstacles that have to be gone around
Route difficulty- 1. Walking on a flat surface
- 2. Trails with different types of path
- 3. Walking on stepped paths or irregular terrain
- 4. The use of hands or jumping over the terrain is necessary
- 5. The use of hands is required to progress
Amount of effort needed- 1. Up to 1 hour of continuous walking
- 2. Between 1 and 3 hours of continuous walking
- 3. Between 3 and 6 hours of continuous walking
- 4. Between 6 and 10 hours of actual walking
- 5. More than 10 hours of continuous walking
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