Pinares de Doñana

Natural areas

More than three hundred natural sites and nature reserves

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Aljarafe, un patrimonio paisajístico espectacular

The Aljarafe is a wide platform rising above the fertile plains of the River Guadalquivir and crossed by the River Guadiamar. It extends to the foothills of the Sierra Morena to the north and to the marshlands to the south. This diversity results in a natural environment rich in ecosystems and species. The area contains clayey soils that have allowed the traditional manufacture of bricks since Moorish times until today and in which numerous gullies have been created due to erosion; fertile alluvial lands; farmland with vines and olive trees; irrigated land and riverside vegetation with white and black poplars, ashes, reeds and bulrushes; and Mediterranean forest with pines and species such as storks, frogs, toads and ladder snakes.

From the edge of the Aljarafe you can admire spectacular views of the surrounding countryside, Mediterranean fauna and vegetation: mastic, castor, rockrose, rabbits, turtledoves and partridges.

The River Guadiamar, a tributary of the Guadalquivir, also shapes the landscape and fauna of this region. The Green Corridor of the Guadiamar is a green corridor between the Sierra Morena and Doñana, crossing various different ecosystems: marshland, riverside, river marshes and Mediterranean woodland. The Pilas Stream is a green corridor for the Iberian lynx.

The Alcarayón, a tributary of the Guadiamar, is home to riverbank species such as badgers, civets, foxes, black kites, goshawks, kestrels and sparrowhawks.

The olive groves are home to the common finch, golden oriole, raven, partridge, blue tit, yellowtail, jay, hoopoe, turtledove, tree sparrow and many other bird species.

One of the outstanding features of the area is the Cañada de los Pájaros, a paradise for birds. It is the only Subsidised Nature Reserve in Spain where several species of bird are bred in captivity, some in serious danger of extinction such as the red-knobbed coot, the white-headed duck, the squacco heron or the marbled teal.

The lowest part of the Aljarafe is occupied by the Doñana Natural Park, the first protected Andalusian area and a stopover point for bird migrations towards Africa. The lynx, fallow deer, pike and thousands of birds live there, among others the largest colonies of flamingos in Europe.

Do not miss the pine forests of Aznalcázar and Puebla del Rio, the Brazo del Este Natural Park, the Brazo de la Torre, the Corta de la Isleta and the Olivillos, the Alcarayón Steram and Dehesa Espechilla, Dehesa Boyal, El Chaparral and the San Lázaro Lagoon, the La Atalaya and La Puñana dehesas, and the La Juliana Pine Grove, the Arboreto del Carambolo Botanical Garden, the Hacienda Porzuna Suburban Park, and the Italica Greenway.

3 natural areas to discover

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Mairena del Aljarafe