Gafos Park
42°25′27″N 8°38′20″W / 42.42408°N 8.63897°W / 42.42408; -8.63897
The Gafos Park is a public park located in Pontevedra, Spain. It is a linear park surrounding the Gafos River, which runs through the south of the city from east to west.
History
The crystal-clear waters of the Gafos River were the chosen place for washing clothes in the city since the 19th century,[1] which is why there were five lavoirs.[2] In 1970, the Gafos River was covered in the Campolongo district for a length of 500 metres, a tunnel was built to canalize its waters[3] and a large promenade was created above it in December 1970.[4] With the accelerated growth of the city, the degradation of the Gafos river and its banks during the last decades of the twentieth century, made the citizen conscience wake up for their care, being the most important association for their defense the Vaipolorío association, created in 2001.[5]
From 2001 onwards, the idea of reclaiming the river banks was adopted resolutely.[6] The Galician Government launched a recovery project for the creation of a park along its right bank as it passed through the city, which ended with the creation of a linear park inaugurated on 29 November 2007.[7]
In 2019, the idea of uncovering the riverbed as it passes through the Campolongo district has been revived, which would allow the creation of an 81,000 square metre linear park around it.[4][8] In March 2019, the Gafos River was declared a protected area, specifically a Natural Area of Local Interest (ENIL).[9][10]
Description
The park is 6.5 kilometres long and two kilometres in its urban part.[11] The banks of the river have been transformed in some places into large recreational and rest areas.
The park has three well-defined areas from south to north :[7]
- from the municipality of Vilaboa to the O Pino crossroads, at the city gates, the most natural section, where there are a few wooden footbridges or stone slabs to cross the river.
- the urban section from the O Pino crossroads to the Campolongo district. It is a gravel path with grass on one or two sides, with rusty iron LED landscape bollard lights, benches and wooden bridges. A footbridge and a wooden bridge make it easier for pedestrians to cross where the river is more inaccessible due to the encroachment of buildings on its banks[12] The source of the Gorgullón is in this area. Festivals are also held in this section.[13]
- from the Campolongo district to the mouth of the Pontevedra ria, the most modified section, there are some wooden footbridges and a bridge. In this part, there are several old mills for grinding grain.[14][15]
In this linear park there is undergrowth (lichens, ferns, mosses, brambles), bushes and native trees (laurel, alder, willow, oak, ash, birch, poplar and chestnut).[16] As for the fauna, the park has many birds such as warblers, swifts, cuckoos, swallows, tits, hoopoes, turtle doves, goldfinches and starlings.[16]
Gallery
- Park near the Vialia shopping centre
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- Puente Bolera
- Path
- Old mill
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References
- ^ "De oficio, lavandeira". Faro (in Spanish). 16 August 2019.
- ^ "Los secretos del río que daba a la Boa Vila olor a limpio". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 19 October 2014.
- ^ "El proyecto para destapar el Gafos estará listo en el arranque del 2021". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 6 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Destapar el Gafos es uno de los objetivos para este mandato". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 30 June 2019.
- ^ "Vaipolorío inicia hoy su tradicional campaña de verano de limpieza del Gafos". Faro (in Spanish). 3 July 2016.
- ^ "El Concello retoma el proyecto del parque lineal del río de los Gafos". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 28 October 2002.
- ^ a b "Disfrutar a orillas de Os Gafos". El Correo Gallego (in Spanish). 17 October 2007.
- ^ "Destapar el Gafos crearía un parque equivalente a doce estadios de Pasarón". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 12 March 2021.
- ^ "El río Gafos obtiene su declaración como espacio natural de interés local". Pontevedra Viva (in Spanish). 28 March 2019.
- ^ "DECRETO 39/2019, de 28 de marzo, por el que se aprueba el plan de conservación del espacio natural de interés local Río Gafos (Pontevedra)". Diario Oficial de Galicia (in Spanish). 15 April 2019.
- ^ "Un parque fluvial por completar". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 5 July 2009.
- ^ "El parque de Os Gafos avanza". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 11 June 2007.
- ^ "El ritmo más inclusivo pone en pie el parque de los Gafos". Pontevedra Viva (in Spanish). 14 July 2019.
- ^ "Mejora ambiental del entorno de los molinos del Gafos en la Rúa Ponte Nova". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 6 September 2019.
- ^ "Molinos para recuperar la memoria". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 27 October 2009.
- ^ a b Riveiro Tobío, Elvira, 2008, Descubrir Pontevedra, Pontevedra, Edicións do Cumio, p. 79
See also
Bibliography
- Aganzo, Carlos (2010). Pontevedra. Ciudades con encanto (in Spanish). Madrid: El País-Aguilar. pp. 111–113. ISBN 978-84-03-50934-4.
- Riveiro Tobío, Elvira (2008). Descubrir Pontevedra (in Spanish). Pontevedra: Edicións do Cumio. pp. 78–79. ISBN 978-84-8289-085-2.
Related articles
External links
- Parque del Gafos, on the website Visit-Pontevedra
- Parque del Gafos, on the website Galicia Info
- v
- t
- e
- Pontevedra City Hall
- Palacio de la Diputación de Pontevedra
- Gobierno Civil de Pontevedra
- Gobierno Militar de Pontevedra
- Pontevedra Normal School Building
- Bank of Spain Building
- Fonseca House
- Administrative Complex of Pontevedra
- Judicial Complex of Pontevedra
- Apparitions Sanctuary
- Basilica of Saint Mary Major
- Church of the Pilgrim Virgin
- Saint Francis Church
- St. Bartholomew's Church
- Saint Clare's Convent
- Our Lady of Placeres Church
- Ruins of San Domingos
- Mosteiro Beneditino de San Bieito de Lérez
- Nazarene Chapel
- Chapel of Saint Roch
- Chapel of the Holy Souls
- College of the Society of Jesus in Pontevedra
- Casa de las Campanas
- Casa de los Vaamonde
- Casa del Correo Viejo
- Pazo of the Counts of Maceda
- Pazo de Mugartegui
- Pazo de Castro Monteagudo
- Pazo de García Flórez
- Casa de las Caras
- Liceo Casino
- Mendoza Mansion
- Mansion of the Marquis of Riestra
- Pazo de Lourizán
- Café Moderno
- Villa Pilar
- Saint Ferdinand Barracks
- Valle-Inclán High School
- Pontevedra Central Post Office
- Gran Garaje Building
- Pontevedra Central Market
- Castelao Building
- Building of the Official Association of Building Engineers and Technical Architects of Pontevedra
- Walls of Pontevedra
- Monument to the heroes of Puente Sampayo
- Valle-Inclán statue
- Tertulia Monument (Literary Circle in Modern Coffee)
- Teucer statue
- The Fiel contraste
- Dorna sculpture
- Ravachol statue
- Fountain of La Herrería
and squares
- Alameda de Pontevedra
- Palm Trees Park
- Marismas de Alba Natural Park
- Gafos Park
- Belvedere Park
- Botanical Garden of Lourizán
- Lérez Beach
- Placeres Beach