National Parks of Spain

Spain is home to 16 national parks, each showcasing unique landscapes, ecosystems, and wildlife. From the wetlands of Doñana National Park to the volcanic peaks of Teide National Park and the mountainous terrain of Sierra de las Nieves, these parks offer diverse opportunities for hiking, wildlife watching, and cultural exploration. Spain’s national parks protect rare species, preserve natural beauty, and provide visitors with unforgettable experiences in some of Europe’s most scenic environments.

16 stunning national parks in Spain to visit.

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San Mauricio lake Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici

Now that the Sierra de las Nieves has been declared a National Park, there are 16 stunning national parks in Spain to visit. Ten are in the Iberian Peninsula, four are in the Canary Islands and one is in the Balearic Islands. National parks are different to natural parks in that the area they cover is predominantly wilderness with less human impact in their history and evolution. Natural parks on the other hand are areas of outstanding natural beauty and biodiversity that have also been shaped in someway by human occupation, agriculture etc.

16 stunning national parks in Spain to visit
National parks on mainland Spain and the Balearic islands.

It goes without saying that they are obvious destinations for wildlife enthusiasts like myself but until one visits one or all of these parks it is hard to imagine the incredibly biodiversity of these areas located on the iberian peninsular and Spanish islands.

16 stunning national parks in Spain to visit
There are four national parks in the Canary islands.

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Preserving Spain’s Natural Paradises: Unveiling the Threats to National Parks

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Ibex Trex Walking Holidays

In the wake of a groundbreaking agreement between the Junta de Andalucía and the Spanish Government concerning the renowned Doñana National Park, a stark reality surfaces for all 16 of Spain’s ecological gems.

Despite a substantial multi million-Euro investment in Doñana, the remaining national parks in Spain grapple with a spectrum of challenges, spanning from drought and unbridled tourism to wildfires and the encroachment of invasive species.

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Cabañeros National Park

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The Cabañeros National Park (in Spanish: Parque Nacional de Cabañeros) is a NATIONAL park and is located within the two provinces of Ciudad Real andToledo
  • Region: Castilla la Mancha
  • Province: Ciudad Real and Toledo
  • Declared a Natural Park: 1995
  • Park surface area: 40,856 hectares

Points of interest

The Cabañeros National Park (in Spanish: Parque Nacional de Cabañeros) is located within the two provinces of Ciudad Real and Toledo. It is the best and largest surviving area of Iberian Mediterranean forest, with an enormous variety of plant species. It also includes sites of geological interest (Paleozoic sites known as Cámbrico y Ordovícico del Parque Nacional de Cabañeros). In addition, the territory has protection status within the framework of the Natura 2000 Network and is a Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA)

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Monfragüe National Park

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The area of Monfragüe National Park is noted for its importance as a breeding area for a selection of rare and protected birds,
  • Region: Extremadura
  • Province: Cáceres
  • Declared a Natural Park: 1979
  • Upgraded to National Park: 2006
  • Park surface area: 18.852 hectares
  • Z.E.P.A (1988) Special Bird Protection Zone
  • Biosphere Reserve 2003

Points of interest

The area of Monfragüe National Park is noted for its importance as a breeding area for a selection of rare and protected birds, Black vulture, Black stork, Imperial eagle and Bonelli’s eagle.

Add to that the worlds most endangered wild cat, the Lynx which also resides here and one can see why it was upgraded from a natural to a national park.

The park altitudes range between 450 – 750m, covering an area 30km long and 7km wide. The habitat types are oak woods, scrub land, rocky out crops, river and reservoir plus dehesa.

The area has also become famous as a starlight destination. The Starlight Foundation is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2009 to promote the protection of the night sky and the development of “astrotourism” and there is an ever growing list of starlight destinations in Spain to visit.

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