Parque Nacional de Doñana

Area: 75,765 hectares/187,140 acres

Parque Nacional de Doñana is the largest of the Spanish national parks, and perhaps the most interesting, with a fauna which incudes many African species. It lies in the delta at the mouth of the Guadalquivir, on the very edge of Europe and on the route followed by migratory birds on their way to Africa. There are two different ecosystems in the park - the wetlands (Doñana húmedo), consisting of the marisma or fenland in the river delta and the lagoons (only a few hundred hectares of which are within the national park), and the dry area (Doñana seco). The areas which are under water for most of the year (almajales) consist of the abandoned channels of the Guadalquivir (caños), the ojos (springs) and of lucios (''pikes'' - long shallow lagoons); between these are the paciles (small circular hummocks) and the vetas or vetonas (higher and longer expanses of dry land). Rare species found only in the Coto de Doñana are the pardel lynx (Lynx pardinus), which is spotted and smaller than the European lynx, and the snake-eating true ichneumon (Herpestes ichneumon), the only European representative of the ichneumon family, groups of which can frequently be seen trotting through the park in Indian file. Other species very rare in Europe are the imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca) and the greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber). Here too is the only nesting colony in Europe of the purple gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio). Rare species of duck which are protected here are the ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca) and two species which winter in the park, the ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) and the white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala).

Parque Nacional de Doñana is a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.