Laguna de Medina

Medina Lake is the largest in the province of Cádiz and the second largest in Andalusia after Fuente de Piedra. It is located ten kilometres from Jerez de la Frontera, in a landscape of rounded, cultivated hills whose smooth slopes direct rainwater to the lake. Its other main source of water comes from Fuente Bermeja Stream. The surrounding soils, rich in gypsum, slay and marl are responsible for the salinity of its waters.

This wetland area is semi-permanent. It reaches two metres at its deepest and dries out completely during the summer in years with little rainfall.

If you follow its trail you will see how there is a belt of vegetation around the lake with reeds, bulrushes, tamarisk and Bunium incrassatum, conforming a privileged habitat for endangered species of birds. As you move away from the wetland area, the dominant vegetation is Mediterranean scrub. It is well conserved in some areas, with wild olive, mastic, palmetto and rockrose. After this comes the rural landscape of typical farmhouses set between crops, mainly cereals and sunflowers. Agriculture is limited, mainly to protect the area's natural value as a reserve.

The white-headed duck and red-knobbed coot, endangered species of birds, leading to international recognition from a range of protection bodies. On the way it is common to see other birds frequent at different times of year, from garganeys, geese, pochards and ducks through to flamingos.

This Nature Reserve plays an important role as a winter retreat, mating ground and migratory stopping point for water birds. It is especially important as a refuge for those that lay their eggs at nearby wetland areas such as the Doñana National and Nature Park. Above all, this makes Medina Lake an ideal place for ornithology enthusiasts, especially in summer when more than 20,000 anatidae and pochards can be found here.