Arribes del Duero Natural Park

Transcription

- I was always excited being close to the border of another country, but I was never so close to... ...any kind of country like this because here I'm in Spain and if I make one step, I'm in Portugal. - "P" is for Portugal and "E" is España, and all this is the International Park Douro. Hidden deep in the plain of the Iberian Plateau, and for a length of 112 kilometres,... ...the river Douro becomes the natural border between the two countries,... ...and much more difficult to cross than what I just did, with its very high cliffs on the sides. - Oh, how beautiful, oh, great! The cliffs are indeed great for birdwatching, because birds of prey commonly nest in them. - From this park it is possible to see the plateau that formed the whole Iberian Peninsula,... ...and it is tilted to the West, that is why the biggest rivers of Spain, they are going to Portugal,... ...for example, like one of the biggest is Douro. - Of course you can spend a lot of time in this Park, but for visitors like me,... ...who have only 1 day, they advise to visit the park from the town Miranda do Douro,... ...to the town called Sao Joao das Arribas, “arribas” which means cliffs, so it should be a good view. The territory is protected on both sides of the border, and there are plenty of vantage points,... ...both natural and adapted, in order to enjoy these magnificent landscapes. - Oh, you will love it, how beautiful! - It must be very impressive and scary at the same time to have a trip by boat over there,... ...but they used to drive from Spain to the Atlantic Ocean, through Portugal, a long long time ago,... ...in special boats called “Rabelo”, which brought normally wine, originally from the region of Douro in Spain and Portugal. This is a deeply rural area, and apart from the river, the small villages and the donkeys, which are an endangered species,... ...are of great interest, in special as a contrast to the rest of the country.