Guide to Andalucia > Destinations > Conil > What to do? > Routes and Ornithology

Conil. Rural Tourism. Routes and Ornithology

ROUTES

The natural park of the cliffs and pine forests of Barbate is easily navegable because of its modest size. But the possibilities here are sizeable: not least the chance to explore on foot, by bike or horse.

To the west you’re recommended to visit the torre de Meca tower, atop the hill of the same name and reaching a height of 170m above sea level. You can also get there by following the old path from Barbate (which circles all around the hill and ends at Caños-Barbate itself) taking a right fork at the hill. Another option is to the torre del Tajo. You can get there by road via a right turn detour signed before Barbate, or, as well, from Los Caños, across the pine woods at the edge of the cliffs towards the tower. The area around the Tajo tower is particularly interesting. There are various fences or barriers in the cliffside and from this height you can look out over the vast ocean, the reefs below the cliffs, the coastlines of Barbate and Zahara, and on clear days it is possible to see the coast of north Africa, from Tangiers to Yebel Musa.

Ornithology

In the natural park of Barbate you’ll spot a mutltide of species; on the edge of the park, there are various types of gull and the only colony of the cattle egret on the entire littoral. And in the interior there are many raptor species: common falcons and barn owls, as well as numerous insectivores. It’s also common to hear the song of the cuckoo.

In the Natural Park of the Bahía de Cádiz the most visible species are the pelicans, grebes, cormorants, seagulls, and wading species (adapted to feed on mudflats), which are also frequent visitors to the beaches. It also has the most important colony of little terns in Spain.

In the estuary and salt-flat areas, it’s common to see black-winged stilts, storks, flamingos, spoonbills, herons and avocets. Following its transformation for aquatic cultivation and salt pans, the area also attracts flamingos and fish eagles.