Doñana

Doñana is a complex mosaic of landscapes forming a flat, clean horizon, a paradise for birds in the most important wetlands in Europe.

HAlfway between the provinces of Huelva, Seville and Cádiz, Doñana is now a labyrinth of land and water that shapes the marshes, spectacular lakes and channels, reserves and pine forests, streams and banks, dunes, beaches and cliffs. Bonanza, Gallega, Ribetehilos and El Lucio del Cangrejo are clear examples of the lagoons that dominate this area, providing shelter for thousands of birds.

Among the varied landscapes that also form part of Doñana are the moving dune systems that run between Matalascañas and the mouth of the Guadalquivir, over 25 kilometres of unspoilt beach and white sand; the fossil dunes of the Asperillo, over 30 metres tall; or on the beach, the cliffs with the same name, made of orange and ochre sandstone due to the rich iron oxide waters that flow through the chorritos.

Fauna and flora

Whereas the lagoons are dominated by plants adapted to this habitat, such as reeds and rush, the further away you get, you will find other species more related to banks and river channels. First of all are the cork trees, alongside strawberry plants and palm trees, among others, followed by the blood-red willow, an endemic of the Tertiary period, which make up amazing forests next to the royal fern, ash, white poplar, sarsaparillas and honeysuckle,… The union of very different ecosystems is the main reason that Doñana is a true paradise for birds, as it has over 120 species of so-called aviaries: a real explosion of sound, colour and life. The fertile ground gives way to magnificent forests of stone pine, such as Coto del Rey, El Abalario or the Pinar de La Algaida, which share their habitat with the black mountains - myrtle, mastic, Moorish rock rose, rosemary, thyme, lavender, white and yellow rock rose, as the more humid land changes to higher and dryer land. This is where two of the most valued species live, the Iberian lynx and the imperial eagle, as well as other mammals, reptiles and birds. Stabilizing the coastal dunes are plants that can handle a dryer and windier atmosphere, with the sand and salt, also known as unkempted forest , which include juniper, savins and marram grass.