Park surface area: 5.077 hectares (3.925 land plus 1.152 marine.)
Declared a Zone of Special Protection for Birds: 2002
Towns and Villages: Barbate, Vejer de La Frontera
Points of interest
Halfway between The Bay of Cadiz and El Estrecho between Mediterranean and Atlantic waters is the La Breña y Marismas de Barbate Natural Park.
Although one of the smaller parks in Andalucia it has 28km of marked pathways and covers both land and marine areas. 100 metre cliffs drop vertically into the powerful Atlantic ocean. Above the cliffs is a dense woodland of Stone pines (Pinus pinea) which create a naturally rounded canopy of shade. As well as the pine woods and marine zone there are moving dunes and wetland where the Barbate river reaches the Shore.
Park surface area: 18.887 hectares (9,640 terrestrial and 9,247 marine)
Towns and Villages: Algeciras, Tarifa
Points of interest
El Estrecho (The Strait of Gibraltar) natural park covers the southern most tip of Spain, containing within it environs a richness of history, vegetation and especially bird and marine life.
The coast of Morocco is just 14km away and this offers the shortest span for birds migrating from Europe to the African continent. Birds funnel into this area throughout the year with spring and autumn offering the most amazing sights. More than a million birds of over 200 species congregate in the area each year, this natural phenomenon is observed by many keen birdwatchers and researchers.
Towns in the Montes de Malaga Area: Casabermeja, Colmenar, Málaga
Points of interest
The Montes de Málaga natural park is just 5km from the city of Málaga. It consists of rolling hills and mountains with a high point of 1031m. The highest road pass is Puerto de León at 960m.
There are many streams that cut through the park and fall into the Guadalmedina river to the west. The slopes are planted with pines and offer beautiful views of the Mediterranean countryside and coast.
Towns and villages: Cabra, Carcabuey, Doña Mencía, Iznájar, Luque, Priego, Rute and Zuheros
Points of interest
Set in the middle of Andalucia, the Sierra Subbética is a limestone semi-mountainous area with rolling hills and a high point of 1.570 metres named la Tiñosa. The main economy for the area comes from olive oil, therefore much of the area has intensive olive grove plantations.
The villages and towns in the Sierra Subbética are a delight to explore.
If you have an interest in fossils then this area should be on your bucket list for Andalucia as it is also a UNESCO global geopark and also part of the “Fossil route”
This short documentary in Spanish highlights the scenery, culture and history of the Sierra Subbética.
Take a trip on the Wildside! Discover the wildlife and nature of Spain, its Natural and National Parks and find the top wildlife, activity and walking holiday companies in Spain.
