The third Festival of the Swifts will return to Ávila, uniting architectural and natural heritage in an event that will also include guided tours. Organized by the City Council, the event was presented by the councillors of Tourism, Sports, and Festivals, and the Environment of the City Council of Ávila, Carlos López and Cristina García respectively, along with Felipe Nebreda, coordinator of the festival, and Nuria García, municipal biologist.
From Friday the 14th to Sunday, the goal is to showcase the «indissoluble connection that in Ávila forms between the wall and the architectural heritage with the swifts,» a bird that can especially be found at sunrise and sunset, flying around the city’s heritage.
López explained how the swifts find a refuge in the wall’s crevices, highlighting this element as an example of the experiences that can be lived in the city. In this regard, the festival aims to «contribute to diversifying the city’s tourist offer» and offer initiatives that highlight unique elements of Ávila’s heritage, not only architectural but also natural.
Programming
With the aim that both locals and visitors learn to value the heritage and biodiversity of the area, a program has been put together with about ten activities that will take place in four iconic spaces: the Episcopio, the San Nicolás Environmental Center, the garden and arch of San Vicente, and the El Rastro promenade.
These spaces will host activities starting on Friday, June 14th, with the opening of the festival and a participatory family workshop titled ‘The Fabulous Journey of the Swifts.’ On both Saturday and Sunday, there will be guided tours to explore the natural environment of the Adaja riverbank and El Soto park.
These activities will be complemented by children’s workshops, birdwatching and illustration classes of swifts, and a nature photography masterclass.
The festival will conclude on Sunday with a ‘birdwatcher’ vermouth, with the collaboration of the establishment ‘La Maladicha,’ a space that will host the closing of this festival.
Regarding the experts who will lead workshops and talks about an animal that travels between 5,000 and 8,000 kilometers to arrive in Ávila in the spring from Africa, professionals such as Aunatur (Nature Classrooms of Segovia), the naturalist and nature illustrator Nacho Sevilla, birdwatching monitors, wildlife photographers Naia Pascual and Adrián Ordieres, for the photography masterclass, and Nuria Velasco, coordinator of SOS Swifts, for a round table discussion on the conservation of these birds (to participate in the tours, registration is required, free of charge, at the email address [email protected]).