Declared a Biosphere Reserve, the Cabo de Gata-Nijar
Park 38,000 hectares of land and 12,000 hectares of
sea are one of south-eastern Spain's most valuable
protected spaces.
All who visit are surprised by the apparently inhospitable
area's rich ecosystems and economic resources such
as the salt pans and mining activity which man has
used wisely since antiquity, maintaining a careful
environmental balance. The surprise is even greater
for divers, able to enjoy the impressive sights of
waht is hidden beneath the Park's waves.
The species of flora are small and adapted to resist
high temperates and able to store scarce water. among
the types of flora to be seen are bufalaga (a type
of laurel), small-flowered gorse, mastic tree, wild
olive, asparagous, esparto, and Persian berry, pride
of place however goes to the palmetto, the only native
European palm and symbol of the Natural Park.
The different types of terrain to be found in the
Natural Park are the habitat of a wide range of fauna
that includes amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.