{"id":2246,"date":"2020-01-06T05:58:48","date_gmt":"2020-01-06T04:58:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/\/\/laguna-de-fuente-de-piedra\/"},"modified":"2025-12-14T11:35:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T10:35:56","slug":"malaga-fuente-de-piedra-lagoon-nature-reserve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/en\/blog\/malaga-fuente-de-piedra-lagoon-nature-reserve\/","title":{"rendered":"Laguna Fuente de Piedra Natural Reserve"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>M\u00c1LAGA <\/strong>&#8211; <strong>the largest Greater Flamingo colony in the Mediterranean and a spectacular inland wetland.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-4 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Phoenicopterus-phoenicopterus.png\" data-id=\"19810\" alt=\"Phoenicopterus phoenicopterus\" class=\"wp-image-19810 lazyload\" title=\"Phoenicopterus phoenicopterus\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"412\" height=\"412\" data-id=\"19810\" src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Phoenicopterus-phoenicopterus.png\" alt=\"Phoenicopterus phoenicopterus\" class=\"wp-image-19810\" title=\"Phoenicopterus phoenicopterus\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Phoenicopterus-phoenicopterus.png 412w, https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Phoenicopterus-phoenicopterus-380x380.png 380w, https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Phoenicopterus-phoenicopterus-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 412px) 100vw, 412px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/tetrax-tetrax.png\" data-id=\"19811\" alt=\"Tetrax tetrax\" class=\"wp-image-19811 lazyload\" title=\"Tetrax tetrax\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"288\" height=\"288\" data-id=\"19811\" src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/tetrax-tetrax.png\" alt=\"Tetrax tetrax\" class=\"wp-image-19811\" title=\"Tetrax tetrax\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/tetrax-tetrax.png 288w, https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/tetrax-tetrax-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 288px) 100vw, 288px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Porphyrio-porphyrio.png\" data-id=\"19812\" alt=\"Porphyrio porphyrio\" class=\"wp-image-19812 lazyload\" title=\"Porphyrio porphyrio\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"426\" height=\"426\" data-id=\"19812\" src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Porphyrio-porphyrio.png\" alt=\"Porphyrio porphyrio\" class=\"wp-image-19812\" title=\"Porphyrio porphyrio\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Porphyrio-porphyrio.png 426w, https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Porphyrio-porphyrio-380x380.png 380w, https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Porphyrio-porphyrio-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 426px) 100vw, 426px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Gelochelidon-nilotica.png\" data-id=\"19813\" alt=\"Gelochelidon nilotica\" class=\"wp-image-19813 lazyload\" title=\"Gelochelidon nilotica\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"560\" height=\"560\" data-id=\"19813\" src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Gelochelidon-nilotica.png\" alt=\"Gelochelidon nilotica\" class=\"wp-image-19813\" title=\"Gelochelidon nilotica\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Gelochelidon-nilotica.png 560w, https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Gelochelidon-nilotica-380x380.png 380w, https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Gelochelidon-nilotica-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>Fuente de Piedra Lagoon is the largest in Andalusia<\/strong>, with 6.5 km long and 2.5 km wide and has 1,300 ha of protected natural area. It is located near the town of Antequera (M\u00e1laga) in the depression of the Guadalquivir river.   <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/img_8180.jpg\" alt=\"Fuente de Piedra Lagoon, Malaga, Wetland\" class=\"wp-image-3800 lazyload\" title=\"\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/img_8180.jpg\" alt=\"Fuente de Piedra Lagoon, Malaga, Wetland\" class=\"wp-image-3800\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/img_8180.jpg 800w, https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/img_8180-380x253.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Fuente de Piedra is an immense inland lagoon whose salty waters have saved it from agricultural reconversion as has happened in La Janda (C\u00e1diz) or La Nava (Palencia).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This huge lagoon fills with water with the winter and spring rainfall, all the water in the surrounding area flows into it in a drainage basin of more than 150 km\u00b2 and manages to accumulate a water column between 20 and 70 cm deep with exceptional values of up to 150 cm. <g id=\"gid_0\">The fresh water is salinized by dissolving the mineral salts contained in the soil<\/g> and reaches very variable concentrations of up to 96 g \/ l of sodium chloride, <g id=\"gid_1\">turning the water into a real brine<\/g>, a condition that qualifies it as a hypersaline lagoon. Evaporation produced by the action of heat and wind, plays a decisive role in <strong>gradually drying the lagoon<\/strong>, giving way to a characteristic white and salty crust during the summer.    <\/p>\n\n<ul style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:700\" class=\"wp-block-list is-style-checkmark-list has-accent-4-background-color has-background\">\n<li class=\"has-accent-1-color has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-1\">Salty wetland<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-accent-1-color has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-2\">Waterfowl<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-accent-1-color has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-3\">Greater Flamingoes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-accent-1-color has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-4\">Dark horse<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-accent-1-color has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-5\">Agricultural steppes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The best birdwatching in the province of Malaga<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Fuente de Piedra lagoon is famous for its colony of Greater <strong>Flamingoes<\/strong><em>(Phoenicopterus roseus<\/em>) which in <strong>some years <\/strong><strong>exceed<\/strong><strong>35,000 adults<\/strong> when the spring has been very rainy. Unusual feature of the species: Greater Flamingoes living around the Mediterranean Sea function as a large population regularly exchanging adults between the 10 main colonies. <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/18-e1579032326221.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\" alt=\"Laguna fuente de pedra, Greater Flamingo, Phoenicopterus roseus\" title=\"\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/18-e1579032326221.jpg\" alt=\"Laguna fuente de pedra, Greater Flamingo, Phoenicopterus roseus\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>In this species, juveniles have a gray plumage, while adults are stained by carotenoid compounds found in the diet of shrimp, plankton, algae and crustaceans.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In addition to flamingos, the <strong>lagoon<\/strong>&#8216;s avifauna <strong>is rich in aquatic species<\/strong>. More curious is the population of <strong>Little Bustards<\/strong><em>(Tetrax tetrax<\/em>) that occupies the surrounding farmland.   <\/h4>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/dscn2198-e1579033048360.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\" alt=\"large branchiopods, branchiopoda, Chirocephalus\" title=\"\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/dscn2198-e1579033048360.jpg\" alt=\"large branchiopods, branchiopoda, Chirocephalus\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Chirocephalus diaphanus , the most abundant branchiopod crustacean in Andalusia, survives in fresh and temporary waters.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The site is also of international importance for the diversity of its crustacean plankton. Especially for the presence of <g id=\"gid_0\"><g id=\"gid_1\">large gillipods<\/g> adapted to high salinity conditions<\/g>. Among them it is possible to find some rare species, for example <em>Branchinectella media<\/em>, although only visible when sampling the water column.    <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/P1130795.jpg\" alt=\"Stone fountain, Malaga, Dark spreadwing, Lestes macrostigma\" class=\"wp-image-3808 lazyload\" title=\"\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/P1130795.jpg\" alt=\"Stone fountain, Malaga, Dark spreadwing, Lestes macrostigma\" class=\"wp-image-3808\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/P1130795.jpg 800w, https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/P1130795-380x253.jpg 380w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Dark spreadwing (Lestes macrostigma ) is scarce and generally difficult to observe, although some years it becomes super abundant.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another invertebrate species adapted to the salt conditions of the temporary lagoons and extremely rare is a dragonfly, the <strong>Dark spreadwing<\/strong><em>(Lestes <\/em><em>macrostigma<\/em>), it is possible to observe some specimens in late spring in the lagoons near the visitor center.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/dog-walker-11.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-125 lazyload\" title=\"\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1349\" height=\"95\" src=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/dog-walker-11.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-125\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/dog-walker-11.png 1349w, https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/dog-walker-11-380x27.png 380w, https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/dog-walker-11-800x56.png 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1349px) 100vw, 1349px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Note<\/strong>: From the visitor reception center, the birds can be very far away, especially in summer. It is <g id=\"gid_1\">essential to have a telescope<\/g> to make interesting observations. In the vicinity of the Laguna de Fuente de Piedra Nature Reserve, there are other wetlands of interest for birdwatching: Nature Reserve <a href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Laguna_de_la_Ratosa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Laguna de la Ratosa<\/strong><\/a> and Natural Reserve <a href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lagunas_de_Campillos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Campillos Lagoons<\/strong><\/a>.  <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The largest Greater Flamingo colony in the Mediterranean. Laguna Fuente de Piedra : Salty wetland ; Waterfowl ; Agricultural steppes ; Dark horse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26703,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[561],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-natural-protected-areas-in-andalusia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2246"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2246\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g3-guides.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}