Doñana National Park in Andalucia: gateway to nature

A clip of the Doñana National Park with nearly 3,000km of pine groves, unspoilt beaches and marshes.

Doñana National Park is located in Andalusia, in the provinces of Huelva, and covers 543 km² (337.41 mi²), of which 135 km² (83.89 mi²) are a protected area. The park is an area of marsh, shallow streams, and sand dunes in Las Marismas, the Guadalquivir River Delta region where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The original area was established in 1963 when the World Wildlife Fund joined with the Spanish government and purchased a section of marshes to protect it. There has been a constant threat to the eco-system, that of drainage of the marshes, the use of river water to boost agricultural production by irrigating land along the coast, and the expansion of tourist facilities. In 2011, an archaeological team proposed that the lost city of Atlantis was once located in what are now the swamps of the Doñana National Park having been destroyed by a tsunami.

Malaga, with 27 blue flags, the most recognized province in Andalucia

The Blue Flag is an international distinctive that rewards compliance with established standards such as accessibility, water quality and environmental information for users or respect for the established law.

Andaluciain 2011 has won 81 Blue Flags, according to the Association of Environmental and Consumer Education responsible for the distinctions.

        

By provinces, Malaga is the one with more flags, exactly 27 (22 beaches and 5 ports), followed by Cadiz, with 23. Andalusia, on the other hand, is the region with more miles of blue flag beaches, with a total 112.2 kilometres. Note that the average length of the beaches on the Andalusian coast is three times the national average with about 1,800 square meters.

Fuengirola has three beaches awarded with the Blue Flag: Las Gaviotas-Los Boliches, San Francisco and Santa Amalia. Marbella has four Blue Flag beaches: Rio Verde, Cabo Pino, Casablanca and San Pedro.

The town of  Estepona has two blue flags on the shores of La Rada and El Padron. Benalmádena has four beaches listed in the list of Blue Flags 2011:

Carvajal, Fuente de la Salud, Torrevigia and Santa Ana.

So does Nerja on the eastern Costa del Sol, which keeps among the selected beaches La Torrecilla, Burriana, Maro and El Playazo. Velez Málaga also keeps the blue flag beach in Benajarafe beach and Torrox won two blue flags for the beaches of Ferrara and El Morch.

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