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The beautiful Los Alcornocales natural park in the province of Cadiz.
Almería
| Cadiz
| Cordoba | Granada
| Huelva | Jaén
| Malaga | Sevilla
Protected Natural Environments in Andalucia
By Jo Williams
Nearly a fifth of Andalucia is protected, the largest
proportion of an autonomous region in Spain, reflecting the unspoilt
nature of its countryside and the high ecological importance of
its territory.
The environment department, the Consejería
de Medio Ambiente, of the regional Andalucian government is in charge
of overseeing the protected areas and has an office in each provincial
capital which you can contact about obtaining permits to visit areas
with restricted access or for free camping. Alternatively, national
and natural parks also have a local headquarters, called the Oficina
del Parque, based in the protected area that can also give advice.
National Parks
These are locations of outstanding importance for their wildlife
and geology, with ecosystems that have been little altered by human
activity. They have the highest degree of protection, sometimes
with restricted access to certain areas within them.
There are two national parks in Andalucia: Doñana
and Sierra Nevada. Access to the practically all of the Doñana
National Park is strictly by guided tour only; trips run from
the main visitors' centre in El Acebuche and the tourist office
in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cadiz province. However, between
El Rocío and Villamanrique de la Condesa there is a drovers'
track (vía pecuaria) called the Raya Real, which gives access
to the northern part of the park by non-motorised transport (horses,
bicycles or on foot) only.
The entire Sierra Nevada
National Park is open to the public, but many routes are for
those on foot or bicycle only. Roads and tracks closed off by a
chain or other barrier must only be used by hikers or cyclists and
not motor vehicles. Cyclists are allowed to use all but the most
narrow footpaths.
Natural Parks
These make up the bulk of Andalucia's protected areas and demonstrate
an enormous range of geology, climate and habitats, such as coastal
dunes, beaches, semi-desert steppe, mountain forests, Mediterranean
woodland, saltmarshes and marine zones. Park legislation is aimed
at protected cultural and architectural traditions as well as the
natural environment.
Virtually all of the parks have unrestricted access,
but a few may have areas where you need to obtain special permission
before visiting them due to the risk of forest fire or disturbing
nesting birds, as is the case with the reserve zone in the Sierra
de Grazalema.
Natural Areas
These are areas, known as parajes naturales, that are protected
due to their unique wildlife and landscape. Like natural parks,
these vary greatly in geology, climate and habitats.
Natural Reserves
These are small enclaves aimed at conserving a fragile localised
ecosystem, often within wetland habitats. To enter a natural reserve
special permission is sometimes required; contact the local medio
ambiente (environment) office, which are based in each provincial
capital.
Natural Monuments
These are a more recent addition to Andalucia's network of protected
areas and are often a singular exceptional natural feature, such
as a centuries-old tree, a distinctive rock formation or coastal
feature.
World Heritage Sites
Andalucia is home to six World Heritage Sites. Nature lovers shouldn't miss Doñana National Park (see above), a birdwatcher's paradise, while some outstanding examples of prehistoric cave art can be found in various locations around Granada, Almeria and Jaen provinces. Other unmissable attractions include the magnificent Moorish delights of Granada and Cordoba, Seville's cathedral, and Renaissance gems Ubeda and Baeza.
Other protected status
In addition to being a national or natural park, certain areas have
been designated biospheres by the Unesco. Their ecosystems, landscapes
or natural resources have an internationally recognised importance
and require conservation measures and sustainable development to
safeguard their exceptional biodiversity. The first one in Andalucia
was the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, which was declared a biosphere
in 1977. There are now eight biospheres in Andalucia.
Ramsar is an international agreement that aims to
protect wetland areas that have outstanding birdlife, such as the
Salinas area in the Cabo de Gata Natural Park and the Laguna de
Fuente Piedra Natural Reserve.
Within Spain, an area noted for its exceptional
ornithological interest may be declared a special protected zone
for birds, known as a Zona Especial de Protección de las
Aves (ZEPA).
Facilities
Visitors' centres (centros de visitantes)
can be found in all national and natural parks (which both often
have more than one) and the more important natural areas like the
Marismas de Odiel in Huelva province. They offer exhibitions, audio-visual
displays and other information on a particular area, along with
guidebooks, maps, leaflets and details of walks, accommodation and
sports activities. They are run by helpful local staff who are happy
to answer specific questions. Some information may be available
in English.
Useful leaflets are the guías prácticas
(practical guides), which typically consist of a map along wiith
specific details of towns and villages and local flora and fauna.
These leaflets are often available in English as well as Spanish.
The smaller visitors' centres have more restricted
opening hours, often only Friday to Sunday. Centres in the larger
or more popular protected areas are more likely to open from Tuesday
to Sunday. Most open on public holidays. Generally, they open 10am-2pm
and again in the afternoon, from 4pm-6pm in October-April and 6pm-8pm
in May-September.
The network of visitors' centres is supplemented
in the larger national and natural parks by information points (puntos
de información). In some areas (such as those in the Sierra
Nevada) these are staffed and open mainly at weekends; in others
they are merely noticeboards that outline in some detail walking
trails and other aspects of a particular area.
Footpaths (senderos) are
frequently follow former drovers' routes that are common throughout
Andalucia, are becoming increasingly well marked with information
boards marking the beginning of a route and signposts along the
way. Traditionally, routes were marked by rings or patches of paint
on trees and rocks lining the routes, in colours according to the
type of path, and many still have these.
Walks can be GR, gran recorrido or long distance,
which can form part of a route that crosses Spain, or even Europe,
in the case of the GR7.
GR routes are often marked with red paint. PR routes are pequeño
recorrido or short distance, and are marked as yellow.
It's well worth investing in a good topographical
map before setting out. Visitors' centres can usually provide a
general route map for either an entire protected area or for signposted
individual walks.
Cycle tracks are specially
designated route for cyclists. Known as a carril de cicloturismo,
it is clearly signposted. Contact the visitors' centre or local
tourist or park office for details. Many senderos (footpaths) can
also be used by cyclists, except ones that are particularly narrow.
Mountain bikes are increasingly available for hire.
Some protected areas may be traversed by a vía
verde, a former railway line that has been converted into a cycleway
and footpath, such as the one linking Laguna
Honda Natural Reserve and the Laguna
del Chinche Natural Reserve in Jaen province.
Recreation areas (áreas
recreativas) are popular with city dwellers at weekends and holidays.
They are typically in woodland areas or by a stream, river or lake
and have picnic tables and benches, barbecue pits and a source of
water.
Viewpoints (miradores)
are in places noted for their panoramic views. There may be an information
board and a seating area.
Observatories are basic
constructions designed for watching wildlife, usually on the banks
of a lake or on the seashore.
Campsites are awarded
one of three grades, with three-star campsites offering the most
facilities. Many also have bungalows, chalets or woodens cabins
to rent.
Áreas de acampada libre are places where
free camping is permitted. Bring everything you need, like drinking
water, food and camping equipment; the area may be near a stream
or river for washing. Check with the local visitors' centre before
you arrive, since some areas require special permission in advance
from the nearest environment office. In certain places camping isn't
allowed during the summer months due to the risk of forest fires.
In the Sierra Nevada
National Park, you are allowed to camp to wherever you want
for one night only, but you must contact the park office in Pinos
Genil first, giving them details of when and where you want to camp
(acampar) on an hoja de notificación (notification form).
You can either ring the office on 958 026 300, or email, sierra.nevada@oapn.mma.es.
Refuges are mountain shelters
(refugios) that offer dormitory accommodation with showers, bookable
in advance for a small fee. A refugio vivac is a basic stone shelter
that you can stay in for free and don't need to reserve in advance.
Refuges are common in mountainous areas like the Sierra Nevada and
Cazorla Natural Park, but check with the local visitors' centre
or park office since not all of those marked on maps are permanently
open.
World Network of Biosphere Reserves
These are distributed across 31 countries in the region.
The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves covers internationally-designated protected areas, known as biosphere reserves, that are meant to demonstrate a balanced relationship between man and nature (e.g. encourage sustainable development).
In 2010 there were 564 biosphere reserves in 109 countries. In Andalucia there are eight namely.
Protected Natural Environments in Andalucia,
Spanish National Parks, Wildlife and Nature Reserves, conservation
and protection of the Biosphere in southern Spain
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