National Parks in Andalucia

Andalucia, Spain’s southernmost region, is home to diverse national parks that showcase stunning landscapes and rich biodiversity. Doñana National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site spanning Huelva, Seville, and Cádiz, features marshes, dunes, and forests. It supports migratory birds, the endangered Iberian lynx, and the Spanish imperial eagle, with guided tours, hiking, biking, and horseback riding available. Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park offers hiking, wildlife watching, and cultural experiences in nearby historic towns. Andalucia’s national parks blend natural beauty with cultural heritage, making them a top destination for nature lovers and explorers.

Sierra de las Nieves

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Sierra de las Nieves National park
  • Region: Andalucia
  • Province: Málaga
  • Declared a Natural Park: 1989. Park surface area: 20,132 hectares
  • 1995 designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and the Natural Park inside the biosphere reserve area of 93,930 hectares.
  • Biosphere Reserve towns and villages: Alozaina, Casarabonela, El Burgo, Guaro, Istán, Monda, Ojén, Parauta, Ronda, Serrato, Tolox y Yunquera
  • 2021 declared a National Park and increased to over 23,000 hectares

Points of interest

The Sierra de las Nieves is a limestone massif clothed with evergreen oak trees and also home to the rare Abies Pinsapo or Spanish fir tree. The name “Nieves” refers to the winter snow which was once an important commodity in the area. Snow wells can still be seen on the exposed high areas. The snow would be collected by workers, deposited in the hand built, deep hollows. The snow was compacted, creating ice to be removed later in blocks and delivered the coast on mule or donkey trains to be sold.

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How Rainfall Revived Doñana in 2025: A Wetland in Full Bloom After Years of Decline

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How Rainfall Revived Doñana: A Wetland in Full Bloom After Years of Decline
A Rare Spring Transformation

Doñana National and Natural Park is bursting with life this spring, thanks to a season of heavy rains. The once-parched marshlands have returned to their former glory, offering a rare spectacle of biodiversity and a glimpse of the wetland’s ecological potential. This resurgence has flooded over 39,000 hectares, transforming the landscape and reminding us why Doñana is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Doñana To Return to the IUCN Green List

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The Doñana National and Natural Parks occupy the northern area of the Guadalquivir river where it meets the Atlantic Ocean
Doñana Expected to Rejoin the Green List Before Summer

The Andalusian regional government anticipates that Doñana National Park will be reinstated on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Green List before the summer. The park was removed from this prestigious international catalogue due to conservation concerns, pending a reassessment that has been ongoing for over a year.

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Doñana National and Natural Parks

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The Doñana National and Natural Parks occupy the northern area of the Guadalquivir river where it meets the Atlantic Ocean
  • Region: Andalucia
  • Provinces: Sevilla, Huelva, Cadiz
  • Declared a Natural Park: 1969 reclassified in 1978
  • In1963 WWF and the Council of Scientific Research bought land (6,794ha) and set up a research station
  • In 1994 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site  
  • Natural Park surface area: 54,200
  • National Park surface area: 50,720 hectares – Total area: 77,260ha:
  • World Heritage and Special Bird Protection Areas: 50,720ha.
  • National Park and Ramsar site; buffer zone 26,540ha.
Towns and Villages
  • Huelva: Almonte, Hinojos, Bollullos Par del Condado, Rociana del Condado, Bonanes y Lucena del Puerto, Palos de la Frontera, Moguer, La Puebla del Río and the Isla Mayor
  • Sevilla: Aznalcázar, Pilas y Villamanrique de la Condesa.
  • Cádiz: Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Points of interest

The Doñana National and Natural Parks occupy the northern area of the Guadalquivir river where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. Six thousand years ago it would have been a wide estuary, but this has mostly been closed off by a long, natural sand bar. This in turn created a large saline lake which gradually collected silt leaving a huge wetland area with lagoons, marshlands and semi-permanent sand dunes.

Latest news and Iberia Nature Forum discussions here.

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