Laguna de Fuente de Piedra

Images: CMA de la Junta de Andalucía

The Laguna de Fuente de Piedra is the second largest inland lagoon (+1300ha) in Spain (after Gallocanta) and the largest lake in Andalucia. It also has some of the greatest concentrations of greater flamingo in Europe, with almost 20,000 nesting in 1998, and an immense concentration of 50,000 adults and chicks in 2000. Like many other of Spain’s inland lagoons, the lake is fed by a number of small streams and is endorheic (no outlet). This means much of it evaporates in the summer, although in some years water is pumped in for the birds. The remains of old saltworks can be seen in the form of linear islands on which thousands of flamingos nest. Best visited March to May.

The reserve is a Ramsar site (see below) and a ZEPA. Fuente de Piedra (Fountain of Stone) takes its name from a nearby fountain from which people used to take its waters in order to eliminate gallstones and kidney stones.