Among the many national parks in Spain, there are natural reserves where rare representatives of flora and fauna are protected, and historical monuments with architectural landmarks, and regions famous for unique folk crafts and ancient customs.
Choosing a direction
The main objects of tourist interest among the national parks of Spain are most often:
- Doñana in the south of the country in Andalusia. Appearing on the map in 1963, this park now covers more than 75 thousand hectares. Its main pride is the world's largest population of Spanish lynxes. The park was included in the World Heritage List for another reason - pine forests and ocean dunes are protected on its territory, and up to half a million water birds fly here annually to winter.
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Torcal Park in Antequera, on the other hand, is very small. Just 20 sq. km. there are amazing rocks and stones, whose bizarre forms began to form in the Jurassic period.
- Ordesa y Monte Perdido in the province of Huesca is the oldest national park in the Pyrenees. It was formed in 1918 and its main attraction is the mountain peak Monte Perdido, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Mediterranean archipelago
The list of national parks in Spain includes the Cabrera archipelago. These islands, part of the Balearic Islands, are a specially protected natural area. There are no permanent residents here, and at the same time no more than 100 people can be in the park, including service personnel.
Due to some remoteness from the mainland, the coastline of the islands and their flora and fauna have practically not changed over time, and therefore in this national park of Spain, whole colonies of endemic species of animals and plants have been preserved. Some of the architectural buildings of the reserve, for example, a 14th century military fortress, are also of great historical importance.
Martian landscapes
The national park in Spain on the island of Tenerife is called Teide. It is located on the territory of a volcanic system and its landscapes sometimes resemble photographs of the Red Planet. Despite its seeming uninhabitedness, Teide is rich in flora and fauna and boasts dozens of endemic animal and plant species.
To the Atlantic Islands
Galicia's Atlantic Islands National Park is easily accessible by cruise ship from Vigo, the province's largest city. The small archipelago is famous for the nesting places of gulls, gray herons and cormorants, which can be observed already while sailing to the islands.
Fans of summer vacations will also not be disappointed with a cruise - one of the islands, Ilha Norte, according to authoritative travel publications, can offer guests sunbathing on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
