Lagunas de Archidona

Lagunas de Archidona Nature Reserve is located in the northeast of Malaga province, in the municipality of Archidona. It comprises two lakes, Grande and Chica, both of salty water rich in sulphates. To the north is Lake Grande, which has fairly clear water all year round and hardly any underwater vegetation. To the south is Lake Chica, with murkier water and lower levels in summer.

The great ecological and scenic value of these lakes is due to the hilly landscape that surrounds them, forming holes and allowing the formation of wet green meadows dotted with almond and olive trees, along with holm oak forest that cover the foothills of the Gibalto, San Jorge and Gorda mountains, interspersed with gall oaks, hawthorn, wild rose, furze, broom, sage, hawthorn and gorse.

Associated with forest and scrubland, the area is home to many species of reptile - Montpellier snake, ladder snake, eyed lizard, Moorish gecko and Iberian worm lizard - birds - common kestrel, common partridge, wood pigeon, turtledove, cuckoo, common owl, brown owl, red-necked nightjar, jay and azure-winged magpie - and mammals - hedgehog, rabbit, hare, fox, weasel, genet and badger.

Both lakes are surrounded by a thick belt of rushes, reeds and canes, allowing an important population of amphibians - common frog, common toad and natterjack toad - reptiles - water snake and terrapin - mammals, such as water rat, and aquatic birds - little grebe, great-crested grebe, heron, mallard, black-necked grebe, shoveller, red-crested pochard, wigeon, moorhen, coot, little winged plover and Kentish plover.

Lagunas de Archidona, together with Fuente de Piedra, La Ratosa and Campillos, forms an extensive series of lakes that are essential for the preservation of birds in the province of Malaga.