Centro de Interpretación da Lagoa de Antela

Centro de Interpretación da Lagoa de Antela is a small educational center in Sandiás, in the province of Ourense, dedicated to the story of one of the largest wetlands that ever existed on the Iberian Peninsula. The center occupies a traditional building on Praza da Carreira in the middle of the town, and locals often call it "Casa da Lagoa" (House of the Lagoon).

What was the Lagoa de Antela?

The Antela lagoon once covered an estimated area of around 42 square kilometers, stretching across several municipalities in the A Limia region — Xinzo de Limia, Sandiás, Vilar de Barrio and Xunqueira de Ambía. It was one of the largest and most significant lagoons on the Iberian Peninsula, holding major natural, archaeological and historical value. Its waters and surrounding wetlands were home to thousands of waterbirds, making the area a genuine haven for birdlife.

Why did the lagoon disappear?

Antela's fate was sealed by decisions taken in the mid-20th century. In 1959, the Instituto Nacional de Colonización launched a large-scale drainage project, completed around 1966. The goal was to turn the flooded land into farmland for agriculture. In practice, this meant destroying a unique ecosystem and triggered one of the largest known single-habitat species extinctions recorded in Galicia. The landscape of A Limia changed irreversibly, from a vast wetland into a patchwork of cultivated fields.

What can visitors see at the interpretation center?

The center exists precisely so this history isn't forgotten. Its permanent display, together with rotating temporary exhibitions, walks visitors through the transformation of the landscape — from the old lagoon, through its drainage, up to the present day, including the recovery of former sand pits (areeiras) for nature. Visitors will find scale models and reconstructions, audiovisual presentations, interactive elements, and information panels covering the geography, history and significance of the region. The center also runs workshops and educational activities, often aimed at school groups, along with study visits, including university students researching landscape change in the Limia basin.

Is it worth combining the visit with the surrounding area?

Yes — right next to the center are the former sand pits (areeiras) of Sandiás, which after years of extraction have been partly rehabilitated and now form wetlands visited by waterbirds. It is a kind of echo of the old lagoon, letting visitors see firsthand how nature is reclaiming part of the lost habitat. The Sandiás town council also organizes guided visits combining the interpretation center with this area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is the center located? The center is located at Praza da Carreira 1, in the center of the town of Sandiás, in the province of Ourense, in the A Limia region.

How is this different from a typical nature museum? This is an interpretation center focused on a single, specific subject — the history and disappearance of the Antela lagoon — combining historical narrative with ecological education and showing the real impact of administrative decisions on the region's landscape.

Can you see any remains of the old lagoon nearby? The lagoon itself no longer exists, but close to the center there are former sand pits, partly rehabilitated as wetlands, which echo the old landscape and attract waterbirds.

Who visits this place? The center draws both tourists interested in the history of the A Limia region and school and university groups, for whom workshops and educational visits are organized.