MORRACEIRAS DAS VARANDAS ISLAND

About this heritage

The Morraceiras das Varandas Island is a small river islet located in the cross-border estuary of the Miño River, within the Natura 2000 protected area of Baixo Miño. It lies opposite the parish of San Miguel de Tabagón, in O Rosal, and is also known as the “Island of the Donkeys.”

Its intertidal landscape, with sandbanks, reed beds, and marshes, is of high ecological value and attracts numerous waterbirds, making it an excellent spot for birdwatching.

From a historical and ethnographic perspective, the Miño River is well known for the traditional fishing of lamprey, while the island itself was once used as pasture for cattle and horses. The nickname “Island of the Donkeys” most likely comes from the practice of taking working animals to graze there when the tide allowed, a common use of the Miño’s islands.

Among the estuary’s islands, Morraceira das Varandas is one of the five Spanish ones, together with Canosa, Morraceira do Grilo, Vacariza, and Fillaboa.