Our gennaker poles were successfully delivered to Mazagon and in a spare day - while we waited for delivery - we managed to install AIS antenna, so it was a time well spent. On friday early in the morning, still in the dark, we sailed towards Villa Real de San Antonio, where we planned to spend the next night. It is a town on a Portuguese side of Guadiana river, opposite of Spanish town of Ayamonte. Approach to Guadiana river delta is very shallow, so we planned to be there at the time of high tide, at arround 1 pm. We got there in time, the water was high, but we were still quite nervous sailing through water less then 4m deep with only few buoys very far apart marking the channel. But it all went well and once there we changed the plan and continued sailing up the river to the anchorage between the towns of Sanlucar on Spanish side and Alcoutim on Portuguese side. The river is very beautiful and peaceful, a big change from windy and bumpy sailing on the sea.
In the evening there was a perfect sunset to end the perfect day. The river banks are very green and home to many birds, there was a colony of little white egrets (mala bela caplja in Slovene) right in the high water grass on the right side of the picture below. Unfortunately the light was to weak to get them on a photo.
Next day we made a little sight-seeing tour. This is Sanlucar, photographed from Portuguese side.
The river was full of boats, many being left there for winter.
In Sanlucar we found exactly the same scooter as captain once owned - it put a wide smile on captains face.
And this is Alcoutim photographed from Spanish side.
We quickly made some friends - after eating up all of our old bread and cooked potato peels, the ducks came back every couple of hours to check if there is more ...
On saturday afternoon we sailed down the river to river delta again. The way down was even more beautiful then up, we saw countless birds, among them many herons. Unfortunately they were very shy so we couldn't get the decent photo although we tried.
Shortly before reaching the river delta we passed under the bridge - again, and again it looked as hairy as on a day before... The bridge height is 20m, out mast is 18m high....
We stayed on anchor in Guadiana delta for two nights and went to visit both towns on either bank on sunday.
This is Ayamonte....
... and this Villa Real de San Antonio.
We enjoyed both of them.
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