Doñana Natural Park
The park covers parts of the provinces of Huelva, Sevilla and Cadiz. The park which absorbs any possible environment impact which might affect the latter. The Doñana Park has two clearly differentiated areas: the coastal strip, composed mainly of sand dunes, and the forest areas, replete with stone pines, where some marsh lakes are conserved.
In the 52,200 hectares of the Park a wide variety of ecosystems are represented, the most outstanding of which, for their importance and uniqueness, are las Playas and Médano del Asperillo, el Brazo de la Torre, el Abalario, las Marismas de Bonanza, Entremuros del Guadiamar, los Pinares de Hinojos, el Pinar de la Algaida and the northern and eastern parts of the Pre-Park area.
The ecosystems of these areas are largely very similar to that of the National Park, forming a home for large forests of pines, cork oaks and eucalyptus trees, in places along with scrub basically made up of rockrose, bramble, lentiscus and heather, some of which is to be found in a magnificent state of conservation.
Among the fauna can be mentioned mammals such as deer, fallow deer, boar, otters, foxes and the Iberian Lynx. Bird species include such important examples as the Imperial eagle, Kites, Spotted vultures, Black storks, Flemingos, Cranes and herons. The great expansion of this last species in Doñana area is permitting its reintroduction into other Spanish National Parks where it had disappeared.
The Park also contains certain areas given over to horse breeding. An ancient tradition exists in the marshlands close to the hamlet (Aldea) of el Rocío whereby horses are set loose to live in the wild the whole year round.
Other deep-rooted traditions within the Park include fishing for river crabs, cutting of bulrushes, shell-fishing on the coast, the extraction of salt and marine products, and undoubtedly the tradition which has transcended Spain and abroad most resoundingly, the pilgrimage (Romería) in honour of the Virgen del Rocío. And, of course, as well as all this, there is Doñana National Park itself to be visited, of an extraordinary ecological wealth, classified by UNESCO as a Biospheric Reserve. Finally, there is the markedly seasonal character of the climate to be considered, and which means that the park presents very different aspects and opportunities according to the season of the year.