The Bahia de Cadiz Natural Park is a magical place.
Initially unassuming, this natural park reveals itself
over time to those who are seeking a unique expe-
rience.
It is a place of ebb and flow, where unrelenting se-
midiurnal tides allow the daily embrace of the land
and sea, creating the largest salt marsh in Spain.
These conditions have created a unique landscape
that is especially attractive to many different types
of birds. When the tide recedes, it reveals hundreds
of metres of muddy plains, teeming with small in-
vertebrates that provide food to an endless number
of waders. When the tide rises, young fish come to
the shores of the marshes looking for shelter and
food, which in turn encourages the arrival of fishing
birds. Lastly, the growth of large algae blooms can
be found in the muddy intertidal areas of the mars-
hes, the preferred food of large groups of Anatidae.
Up to 90,000 birds from varying species come to
feed, breed or rest in the Bay of Cadiz every year.
This ever-changing environment, where the
land is repeatedly submerged and then exposed, is
also home to a diverse and unique range of flora and
fauna, whose ability to adapt to the sun, wind, mud
and salt has made them the great survivors of this
extreme ecosystem.
The marshes allow visitors to take part in se-
veral different activities, from hiking, to exploring
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the wetlands by kayak or observing the local shell-fi-
shing. Visitors can also enjoy sprawling white sand
beaches, perfect for practicing water sports or sim-
ply to bathe in the crystalline waters of the Atlan-
tic. However, the marshes are not the only notable
habitat in the area, close by another unique ecosys-
tem can be found, Las Salinas (salt flats).
The salt flats are classified as Wetlands of High
Ecological Interest due to their significance as a nes-
ting, resting and feeding area for birds and for the
ecological relationship they form between the natu-
ral reserve and adjoining areas. They are an ideal
place for bird watching and their unique landscape,
colours and architecture, along with the local people,
means that visitors will have plenty to enjoy. They
are also of exceptional ethnographic interest since
they house the last vestiges of a thousand-year-old
salt production culture. In the Bahia de Cadiz Natural
Park, you can still see the old salt houses and tide
mills that have stoically survived and offer a glimpse
in to the past.
Atlantida Medio Ambiente is the company that
currently manages the Bahia de Cadiz Natural Park
Visitor Centre and are dedicated to providing a more
sustainable tourism model. This is the best point to
start your visit and to immerse yourself fully into this
wonderful natural area and to experience all the cul-
ture it has to offer.
OTWO 01 / AUGUST 2019
OTWO 01 / AUGUST 2019
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