Wild natural Landscapes of the Malaga Province

Living at the Costa del Sol has many advantages for nature lovers, although this is not always obvious, when one sees rows of gleaming white high-rise hotels and apartment blocks that line Malaga City's shores. The Malaga Province boasts many nature reserves and natural parks, including La Axarquia and Laguna de Fuente de Piedra, situated ca. 19 km from Antequera and Bobadille.

Bird Watching at Laguna de Fuente de Piedra

While the former nature reserve offers hikers and bikers trails through wonderful wild landscapes, deep sunny valleys, olive groves and fragrant orchards, the Laguna de Fuente de Piedra is a bird watcher's paradise, where every spring some 20,000 pairs of flamingos come together for a spectacular display of pink fluffiness set against the azure background of the largest natural lake in the Iberian Peninsula.

At 6.5 km length and 2.5 km width, the lake provides a habitat for more than 170 different species. The flamingo colony gathering here is the second largest in Europe, after the one in the French Camarque region. The Laguna de Fuente de Piedra is the only known inland site on the continent where flamingos are known to nest and breed. The lake's high salt content and rich food supply in shallow waters attract the birds to its shores.

The Laguna is a seasonal phenomena, sometimes drying up in summer and extending to 15 square kilometres in winter, when rain water fills up this natural reservoir. From the end of January onwards the first "pretty in pink" birds start to arrive in the Malaga Province, where they remain until August, before migrating to warmer African climes again.

Great Destination for a brief Holiday

Simply follow the motorway towards Osuna and look out for the exit to Antequera. The nature reserve begins just off the A384 at Bobadille. The protected area of the Laguna covers ca. 8,543 ha and has been a declared zone of special interest since 1988, mainly based on the amazing variety of its bird life.

Astonishingly, a freshwater stream runs through parts of the lake, which has created a unique wetland habitat for other species. Bird watchers come here to observe avocets, black-winged stilts, little bitterns, Montagu's harriers, white-headed ducks, black-necked grebes and red-crested pochards in their natural environs.

During the winter one can observe species that come to this part of Europe to spend the cold season in the milder climate. November to February are good months for spotting thousands of aquatic birds like craves, black-necked grebes, teals, shovelers, grey herons, red-crested pochards, marbled ducks, great crested grebes and mallards come together.

Head for the visitors' centre, the Mirador de Cerro del Palo, which offers one of the best viewing platforms or walk along the footpath Sendero de la Vicaria, which also affords spectacular views. The visitors' centre at the Cerro del Palo is located just off the Sierra de Yegas route, when leaving the Fuente de Piedra village. The centre offers guided bird watching tours during times when the lake is flooded with water. There are a campsite and a few local B & Bs, if you can't face the drive back to Marbella or Malaga and want to make a long weekend out of it.

Axarquía

Rural tourism is extremely important to the Axarquia region. Its stunning beauty and close proximity to the Mediterranean Sea has lured many foreign house buyers here over the past 20 years but thankfully the area has been spared the horrors of over-development seen elsewhere.

The region enjoys a sub-tropical climate, similar to California, and local agriculture includes the growing of kiwi and mango fruit. It's an area popular with hikers and mountain bikers, but also attracts people who enjoy pony-trekking and climbing. Charming hilltop villages and impressive mountain ranges make this a wonderful place to come for a short holiday. It's a great place for exploring the unique flora and fauna of the Malaga Province.

Living in Marbella or Malaga at the Costa del Sol may at first glance be all about glitzy nightclubs, chic boutiques and the razzmatazz celebrities bring with them, but the Malaga Province has so much more to offer. People who relocate here soon learn to prize Andalusia's natural beauty far above man-made efforts.