15 Beautiful and Unique National Park in Spain

15 National Park in Spain

There are 10 Parks on the Iberian Peninsula and 5 divided over the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands. Over 10 million people visit these parks every year.

Panoramic view of Teide Mountain image by Jordi Martos.

The Canary Islands is an archipelago and Tenerife, which has a subtropical climate, the same as the other islands, is the biggest one of them. They founded its capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife in May 1494.

Because of its mild temperatures in the winter, it is a sought-after holiday destination for people from Nordic countries. Many tourists sunbathing enjoy the sight of the snow-covered Teide mountain.

The Teide National Park

El Teide which is situated on the island of Tenerife is one of the most visited parks in Europe and also ranks high worldwide. This mountain is the highest mountain in Spain with its 3.718 meters. It is of volcanic origin and from the seafloor; it stands at 7500 meters. The last eruption happened in 1909.

The National Park has an area of 18.900 hectares (47.000 acres) and was named World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2007. A big international astronomical observatory is located on its slopes. The similarity of the Teide to the Mars landscape has brought the scientist to test robotic vehicles in the area.

The Teide was considered a sacred mountain by the Guanches, the first aboriginal Berber inhabitants of the island. It is thought that they migrated there at around 1000BC. This park offers the visitor some breathtaking views, some good hikes, and a big variety of Fauna and Flora.

Donana National Park

In Andalusia, there is the well-known Parque de Donana situated in the Huelva, Sevilla and Cadiz region. It is a labyrinth of land and water which shapes the marshes and beautiful lakes.

There are some 25 km of unspoiled beaches and the fossil dunes of Asperillo which can be up to 30 meters tall. A big variety of different trees find their place in this park, like the cork trees, ash, poplar, honeysuckle, or stone pines.

Donana is one of the most protected natural areas of Europe as it is an important crossroads for migration bird routes between Africa and Europe. Mediterranean pinewoods and scrubland and vast salt marshes all form the ideal place for the birds to stop and have their babies.

Donana is surely the most biodiverse natural area in Europe. It has some 300 species living here, and some 130 come here to breed on a regular basis.

Young Lynx image by HE 1958

The Iberian Lynx

One of the 37 species of mammals is the beautiful Iberian Lynx considered the world’s most endangered wild cat. At the moment there are some 170 animals living in 2 isolated reproductive populations in Andalusia.

Donana is also the habitat of the endangered Spanish Imperial Eagle. There are only 10 pairs that live here. Their lifespan is normally around 16 years, but it is known that some birds became over 30 years old. Their wingspan of up to 2 meters makes them impressive indeed.

They are legally protected in Spain and dangerous electricity towers have been modified. They reintroduced recently 2 pairs of Imperial Eagles to Portugal.

A visit to this park is highly recommended and do not forget your binoculars. The park has some 100.000 protected hectares where many species find protection.

Have a look at these 2 interesting videos on the Iberian Lynx.

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Illegal Wells, a danger for the Donana Park

There is a big problem that threatens Donana. The authorities will shut over 300 illegal wells down as their use is draining the wetlands dry. They will shut even legal wells down as the situation is more than serious.

Of course, this will not happen all at once, it forms part of a 15-year plan to recover the water levels of the aquifer, but it will take between 30 to 60 years to completely recover from this overexploitation.

A visit to the Donana Park

The book by author Martin Jacoby describes the principal places to visit. You will take a trip to the interior of the park where you will see interesting birds, mammals, plants, and landscape features. A beautiful day in the largest conservation area in Europe. A delight for the entire family.

Conclusion

I know these were only 2 of the 15 beautiful national parks in Spain. If you like, you can find the missing ones on this list. Each one has its own charm and uniqueness, for sure worth a visit. There have been recent talks to make la Sierra de las Nieves – The mountain of the Snows into a National Park. Until now, it has the status of a protected natural area.

To upgrade to become a National Park protection and control of Fauna and Flora will be a lot better. From my home, I can see this mountain in the valley to the west. Let’s hope this decision will be taken by Madrid so more nature is taken care of and saved for future generations.

Time has passed and in 2019 Sierra de las Nieves became National Park number 16 in Spain. This is joyful news. Each year we lose extensive areas to fires in Spain, and as temperatures are rising the situation is becoming critical. A National Park is more protected, so the more parks there are the better.

Worldwide species are lost because they lose their habitat. Humans expand and do not care if animals have to move to smaller areas. It should be the other way around. Creating new and protected areas is a necessity to keep the balance.

Before you leave, have a look at Recommendations. It is a place where I have a collection of things you might find interesting.

Source: Wikipedia

Photo Source: Pixabay

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