La Janda Lagoon

The lagoon of La Janda was at a time one of the most important and extensive wetland systems in the whole Iberian Peninsula. However, following its lengthy drainage process, it all turned from an enormous wetland to a vast tract of agricultural and farming land.

As a direct consequence of the many roles played over history, it currently boasts a wide diversity of habitats. We find great pasturelands, a notable and unusual wild olive tree dehesa open-forest, various dry-farmed crops, rice paddies and irrigation canals with riparian vegetation, that all interplay to make this place an ideal spot to host thousands of birds over the different seasons.

On top of all this, the strategic location in the southernmost tip of Europe and its close proximity to the African continent make La Janda a highly valuable ecological hotspot for uncountable birds that roost, rest and feed here when crossing the Strait of Gibraltar.

Given the high availability of prey species in La Janda, the Spanish Imperial and Bonelli´s Eagle sightings are usual, together with other raptor species such as the Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl or the scarce Pallid Harrier. Depending on the time of year, the fields will host a good number of Common Cranes, Black Storks, Northern Lapwings, European Golden Plovers, Montagu´s Harriers, Collared Pratincoles, Black-winged Kites, Glossy Ibis or even the highly endangered Great Bittern.