Discover Spain’s Natural Parks: A Biodiversity Hotspot
Spain’s Natural Parks: A Biodiversity Hotspot
Natural Area: An area of land or water that forms an important ecological unit for automatic or state preservation.
Aigüestortes National Park
Located in the Pyrenees of Lleida, water is the main character due to its streams, waterfalls, meandering to its characteristic high mountain (the Aigüestortes) and especially the presence of more than 300 lakes and glacial lakes. It forms a magnificent representation of the high mountain ecosystems of the Pyrenean axial ridge. Its impressive cliffs and forests of spruce, black pine, Scots pine, and beech trees cover the park, with its pastures, harboring a rich and varied fauna.
Cabrera Archipelago National Park
Located southeast of the island of Mallorca, the Cabrera Archipelago, since 1991, is the best-preserved Mediterranean island ecosystem. Its characteristics include a great diversity of fauna and flora, home to a community of resident, wintering, and migratory avian species, giving sustenance to a rich natural landscape with one of the best-preserved seabeds of our coastline.
Cabañeros National Park
Located in the mountains of Toledo, it symbolizes the maximum representation of the Mediterranean forest ecosystem. Its lands and beds provide shelter for a variety of birds and mammals that are both Mediterranean species of very high conservation value.
Taburiente Caldera National Park
Located inside the Canary Island of La Palma, it is characterized by being a huge caldera of 8 kilometers in diameter with aspects of a boiler where multiple volcanic eruptions, major landslides, and the erosive force of water and time have molded its geomorphology. In this environment, a variety of plant and animal species have developed, among them the Canarian pine formations.
Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park
Characterized by hosting a unique and rich variety of fauna, a variety of vegetation, and a spectacular mosaic of different landscapes. The park integrates marine and terrestrial environments. The marine environment is very rich in both flora and associated fauna. The land environment is divided into three main ecosystems: the cliffs, beaches, and salt marshes.
Doñana National Park
Located on the right bank of the Guadalquivir River, it is characterized by a mosaic of ecosystems (wetlands, dunes, and stabilized sands) that contain unique biodiversity in Europe. The marsh stands out for its extraordinary importance as a transit, breeding, and wintering ground for thousands of European and African birds.
Garajonay National Park
The best-preserved ecosystem of this type in all of the Canary Islands, representing a subtropical laurel forest that settled the Mediterranean area millions of years ago in an environment of continuous moisture and persistent fogs. This magnificent vegetation is based on recent volcanic materials, ensembles such as rooks and strengths that give the park a high geological interest.
Monfragüe National Park
Located in the province of Cáceres, Monfragüe National Park represents one of the largest and most representative enclaves of Mediterranean forest. It was the first protected area in Extremadura, offering a rich array of habitats: oak forest and Mediterranean scrub, rocks, reservoirs, and streams, allowing the existence of a rich and varied animal and plant life.
Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park
Located in Huesca in the Pyrenees, it is a landscape of contrasts: the extreme aridity of the higher areas, where rainwater and snowmelt seep through cracks and sinks, contrasts with the green valleys covered with forests and meadows where the water forms waterfalls and crosses canyons and ravines. There are forests where Scots pine, beech, black pine, and fir dominate the rest of the species.
Picos de Europa National Park
The National Park of Picos de Europa is located between Asturias. The northern mountainous formations that shape it are Eurosiberian, while the valleys that traverse from the south allow Mediterranean species to penetrate.
Teide National Park
It presents one of the most stunning sceneries that one can contemplate. It features a unique and vulnerable native fauna, with a significant representation of invertebrates in number and exclusivity, and with a wealth of plant species, many of them endemic.