Province: Cadiz

Declared a Natural Park: 1989

Park surface area: 10,522 hectares

Points of interest:

This 5km bay area is a wintering ground and summer breeding area to 200 different aquatic bird species. This Atlantic tidal area consists of sandy beaches, river estuary, marshlands, salt pans, dunes and rocky inlets. Pine groves would once have covered a large part of this old civilization of Europe. The park includes the island of Trocadero and marshes of Sancti Petri.

Flora:

This is made up of plants that have adapted to living in sand with saline atmospheres and tidal flow. Enclaves of Stone pine, (Pinus pinea) including a woodland of 6 hectares at Sancti Petri. Edible pine nuts are collected from this species.

In the area and endemic to Andalucia are Armeria gaditana, Taraxacum gaditanum and Hymenostemma pseudoanthemis, the latter two are recorded as vulnerable on the list of endangered plants.

Fauna:

There are a great amount of aquatic birds like grebes, cormorants, gulls and gannets. White stork, herons and avocets nest here. Flamingo and osprey can also be observed. Invertebrates such as shrimps, crabs, clams, cockles along with the fish sole, sea bream, grey mullet and sea bass are abundant. It is an important breeding ground for many commercial species of fish and crustaceans.

Also in the area:

Phoenician and Roman remains. Numerous galleons sunk off the coasts.

The site is surrounded by urban centres of around 400,000 inhabitants and the Cadiz port. This creates urban, tourism and leisure pressures on the protected area.

Information/Visitors Centers

Park office at Calle Coghen in San Fernando

Botanical garden of San Fernando.