Laguna o Humedal de Padul

In the district of Padul, the Lagoon or Wetlands of Padul is a Protected Area within the Sierra Nevada Nature Reserve. It occupies an area of approximately 300 Hectares.

Because of the its biological wealth and geological interest, this wetland is considered to be one of the most important in South East Spain. In addition to the above, there are other reasons of scientific nature, like it being an undeniable point of reference for students recreating the Palaeolithic era in the Mediterranean and where the remains of mammoths and other prehistoric animals appear with a certain frequency,

For all these reasons this wetland has been declared a Special Area for the Protection of Birds (SPA) and a signatory of the RAMSAR Convention, as a Wetland of International Importance.

Fauna and flora

Wetlands are characterised by the presence of great biodiversity, and they play an important role in the regulation of the water cycle. In the case of the Padul Lagoon this importance is even greater since these are the only natural wetlands in the province of Granada, a province an extremely high level of desertification and a place of settlement and passage for numerous birds. Up to 205 species of birds have been counted here. Water birds include the little grebe, grey heron, little bittern, kingfisher, several species of ducks like the mallard, widgeon and common pochard, and Rallidae like the coot and the rare Baillon's crake. As regards flora, we should point out that we have the largest extension of reed beds in the province, co-existing with large numbers of cattails, yellow lilies and the pleasantly green areas of duckweed which in some way characterise the uniqueness of this area. In the El Aguadero Nature Centre you'll find comprehensive information on these birds and their periods of migration.