Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park is a nature reserve in southeastern Spain, near the city of Almería. It is the largest terrestrial-maritime reserve in the European Western Mediterranean Sea, covering 460 km² including the town of Carboneras, the mountain range of Sierra de Cabo de Gata, and 120 km² of the sea as a part of a Marine reserve. It is of volcanic origin and is centred around the Cabo de Gata headland. Its climate is semiarid to the extent of being the driest location in Europe. In 1997 it was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. In 2001 it was included among the Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance.

Geology and geography

Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park is characterised by volcanic rock formations -lava flows, volcanic domes, volcanic calderas. The park joined UNESCO's Global Geoparks Network in 2006, and is also a member of the European Geoparks Network.

Between the village of San Miguel and the Cabo de Gata point are salt flats (Las Salinas de Cabo de Gata) separated from the sea by a 400 m (0.24 mi) sand bar.The salt flats are a Ramsar site.

Its coasts have seagrass beds of the Posidonia genus and offshore coral reefs, both dramatically increasing the numbers of resident and transient marine species. 120 km² of the total designated protected area are a Marine reserve, extending underwater to a depth of 60 metres (197 ft).



The area is semi-arid, the average temperature is 18 °C and it has the lowest rainfall in the Iberian peninsula and the whole Europe, its average precipitation being a mere 120 to 180 mm (4.72 to 7.09 in) annually.The characteristic vegetation in the terrestial zone is matorral, an abundance of drought-adapted flora: low-growing vegetation, dwarf fan palms and a number of xerophytes (some of which are endemic).There is Posidonia seagrass in the marine zone.

Human impact on the park

Originally due to the harsh conditions for agriculture and its isolated location, habitation has been historically sparse, which has kept the area relatively virgin, something rather unlikely in the Spanish costa. 3,500 people were recorded as living within the boundaries in 1997. The Natural park protection it now receives promises to keep residential expansion under control. However, tourism has boomed recently and in 1998 there were 500,000 tourists visiting the area, specially during Summer. The tourists stay in nearby hotels from where they make a day trip to the Natural park beaches. An illegal hotel was built in 2003 at Algarobbico inside the park.

The main towns are Níjar, inland from the coast (and outside the protected area), and Carboneras at the eastern extreme of the park. San Jose de Nijar is one of the main villages on the coast. Formerly a fishing village, it now has a small tourist industry as it provides easy access to the Playa de los Genoveses and the Playa de Mónsul. Almadraba de Monteleva, in the east of the park, formerly had a sea salt extraction industry.

Flora

There are over 1,000 plants recorded in the reserve, some of which are endemic to the park, including the pink snapdragon (Antirrhinum charidemi), known to the locals as the Dragoncillo del Cabo. The majority of the species are adapted for the semi-arid conditions: the European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis), Europe's only native palm, supplements the meagre groundwater supplies with dew and airborne moisture. Iberia's largest population of jujube (Ziziphus zizyphus), a thorny shrub, populates the steppe. The scrubland is composed of olive tree (Olea europaea), mastic (Pistacia lentiscus), Kermes oaks (Quercus coccifera), esparto grass (Stipa tenacissima), thyme (Thymus) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis).

Around the salt flats are colonies of saltworts, common reeds (Phragmites australis) and the glasswort (Salicornia fruticosa). In the coastal waters are extensive beds of seagrass (Posidonia oceanica), which is endemic to the Mediterranean, and 260 species of seaweed.

Fauna

1,100 species of fauna have been recorded within the park, the majority of which are birds.The European Union has designated a Special Protection Area for bird-life.The salt flats provide an important habitat for both the resident birds and the thousands of migrating birds that stop on their journey between Europe and Africa. Species found around the salt flats include flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus); grey (Ardea cinerea) and purple herons (Ardea purpurea); storks; crane; waders including avocets and oystercatchers; and overwintering ducks.

Many species of lark live on the steppe, including the rare Dupont's lark (Chersophilus duponti) and there are also little bustards (Tetrax tetrax) and stone curlews (Burhinus oedicnemus). Sea birds include yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis), terns, razorbills (Alca torda), shag, the occasional puffin (Fratercula arctica) and Cory's (Calonectris diomedea) and Balearic shearwaters (Puffinus mauretanicus). The wealth of animal life provides prey for a number of raptor: ospreys (Pandion haliaetus), peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus), kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) and eagles.

Approximately 15 species of reptile are found in the park, including Italian wall lizards (Podarcis sicula) (uniquely in Spain), ocellated lizards (Timon lepidus), grass snakes (Natrix natrix) and Lataste's viper (Vipera latastei). The maritime reserve is home to various species of crustaceans, molluscs and fishes including the common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), Pinna nobilis which produces sea silk, the Mediterranean moray (Muraena helena) which was regarded as a delicacy by the Romans, the garfish (Belone belone) and flying gurnard (Dactylopterus volitans), which uses its enlarged pectoral fins to "walk" along the ocean floor. Seaweeds host fish such as bream and grouper.

Among the mammals in the park are common genets (Genetta genetta), wild boar (Sus scrofa), the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) and the least weasel (Mustela nivalis), the smallest terrestrial mammalian carnivore. The seagrass used to provide a habitat for the endangered monk seal (Monachus monachus).Up until the 1960s it was one of the last locations where this seal bred in Spain, the islet of Tabarca being the other.Although occasionally sighted offshore, no seals have bred in the park since 1965.

Notes

See also

• European Geoparks Network
• Global Geoparks Network

External links

• Virtual Tour through the Natural Park of Cabo de Gata (in English)
• Cabo de Gata Natural Park (Spanish- English - French - Italian)
• Natural Park Cabo de Gata (in Spanish)
• Official site of the Spanish Marine Reserves, including Cabo de Gata (in Spanish)
• Nature Park of Gata - Níjar, spanish - english information
• Cabo de Gata pictures
• Natural Park Cabo de Gata - Níjar (in Spanish)