A great way to relax and unwind is to stop and observe the natural world . Spend some time watching these fantastic water birds, flamingos or other migratory species that have arrived from the distant shores of Africa, such as the swallows, herons, storks, and many others that you’ll find in Spain’s national and natural parks.All you need to do is get up close to the great ecosystems formed by dunes, wetlands, nature reserves, and woodlands that are to be found all over the country.
Laguna de Fuente de Piedra Nature Reserve, Málaga
In Málaga, in the biggest lagoon in Andalusia, you’ll find the largest colony of flamingos. Commercial salt extraction was halted in the 1950s, and birds began to return to its waters. Some years later, in 1988, the Nature Reserve was declared a Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA), and since then flamingos have been the ones enjoying the salt flats.Did you know that the reason flamingos are pink is because of their diet? The shrimp, plankton, algae and crustaceans they eat contain a pigment called beta carotene, which colours their feathers and legs.
Doñana National Park, Huelva, Andalusia
At Doñana National Park, you’ll be able to see beautiful flamingos and their young. These extensive wetlands also provide a home for other species of birds that migrate from Africa in the spring and summer months. As well as more than 400 species of birds, there are also the magnificent marismeño horses, a rare and protected breed that is in danger of becoming extinct. Can you imagine seeing these horses for yourself as they gallop across the sunset water alongside the flamingos? Stunning.
In the delta of the Ebro river in Catalonia, the main existing colony of flamingos is to be found on a dyke in the Trinitat de la Punta de la Banya salt flats. This is a place where it’s very easy to see both these and many other birds from the special birdwatching viewpoints. You’ll be able to spot species such as the little egret, the black-winged stilt, and the glossy ibis that live in the lagoon. In Spain you can also see flamingos in the Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar Regional Park in the Murcia Region, or in the Salinas de Santa Pola and El Hondo Natural Park in Alicante.
