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 La Breña Natural Park and Barbate Salt Marshes are located on the Atlantic coast of the province of Cadiz and includes a maritime area, which therefore makes it a maritime-land park. In 1989, it was declared a Natural Park and a Special Protection Zone for Birds (ZEPA ) in 2002.
It contains landscape of great ecological value, such as the umbrella pine forests that spread from the inland to the coast, the shoreline of beaches and cliffs , the salt marshes , a continental platform with a seabed and a small dune system.
Its location in the Straits of Gibraltar means that it is a resting place on the migratory routes of many birds and this is particularly true of the River Barbate salt marshes The park has a surface area of 4,863 hectares, 940 of which belong to its important marine reserve. The cliffs along the shoreline rise up 100 metres above sea level and rocky blocks are broken off by the erosions of the waves and which lie at the foot of the cliff face and in the water.
There are no urban settlements in this Natural Park , and
Vejer de la Frontera, Barbate and Los Caños de Meca (belonging to Barbate) are the towns closest to the borders of the park.
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An umbrella pine forest covers the cliff tops. It is the result of the reforestation in the 19th century aimed at slowing down the moving dunes that were moving up the side of the scrubland. There pine trees are surrounded by Mediterranean scrubland, mainly lentisk, broom and kermes oak.
Aleppo pines, Sabina junipers, junipers and padded brushwood thicket that are very storm-resistant.
The � salt spray � phenomenon, caused by the action of the wind that lifts up small drops of water that hit against the cliff faces, can be seen on these cliffs. This phenomenon results in plant communities that are usually found in salt marshes, such as the halophile species, salt or fresh water helichrysum. Wild fig trees and blackberry bushes can be found in sheltered spots.
The biological communities of the seabed, which are greatly influenced by the movements of the waves, are mainly different types of algae.
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| | COMMON NAME |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME |
| FACT
| SHEET |
| Algas
Marinas
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Variadas |
| ------------ |
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| | Almajo
Dulce |
| Suaeda
Vera |
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| | Almajo Salado |
| Arthrocnemum
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Macrostachyum |
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| | Barrilla
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| Salsola
Kali |
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| | Coscoja
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| Quercus
Coccifera |
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Enebro |
| Juniperus
Oxycedrus |
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Higuera Salvaje |
| Ficus
Carica |
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Lentisco |
| Pistacia
Lentiscus L. |
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| | Pino
Carrasco |
| Pinus
Halepensis |
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| | Pino
Piñonero |
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Pinus Pinea |
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Retama |
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Pistacia Lentiscus
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Sabina Suave |
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Juniperus Phoenicea
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Siempreviva |
| Sempervirum
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Arachnoideum |
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Zarza |
| Rubus Fruticosus |
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The birds that nest in the umbrella pine forests include greenfinches, goldfinches, pigeons, great tits, crested tits, peregrine falcons or Eurasian kestrels.
The park's cliffs are a delight for birdwatchers, as they are home to herring gulls, cattle egrets, egrets, jackdaws and spotless starlings on the El Tajo Tower.
Small periwinkles and limpets live in the marine ecosystem.
Places of interest in this Natural Park include the beacon tower standing on the highest part of the cliff and known as El Tajo Tower. It is a coastal watch tower built in the 15 th and 16 th centuries and stands in a very beautiful setting. Two hundred years ago, the naval battle between the English and French-Spanish fleets off Cape Trafalgar could be seen from this tower.
Other important watch towers in this Natural Park as Trafalgar Tower and the Meca Tower. |
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The first of these stands next to the lighthouse at Cape Trafalgar , in the municipal district of Barbate, and was built by the Arabs in the 9 th century. Only traces of the tower can be seen and it can be freely accessed.
The Meca Tower is also in Barbate. It stands 11 metres high and is in a good state of repair. It can be freely accessed.
Both towers are protected by the Spanish Historical Heritage Act. Another point of interest is the Trafalgar Lighthouse , build during the 19 th � 20 th centuries on the site on an ancient Roman lighthouse. It is 34 metres high and stands opposite the site of the famous battle and between some of the best beaches in the south.
There are also the ruins of the Visigoth chapels of San Ambroio and Chapel of La Oliva, which is off the Vejer-Barbate road.
Real musts to visit are its beaches of Hierbabuena, Los Caños de Meca or Zahora, together with their cliffs and salt marshes, which were endangered during the sixties due to an attempt to use them as agricultural land and they are currently being recovered.
Even though it is not within the Park's borders, special mention should be made of the town of Vejer , which is 8 kilometres away. It is considered to be the white village of the Janda region, with its well-preserved architecture. It is built on a hill and the River Barbate runs through it. Places to visit in the town include its Muslim Castle , its religious monuments, its defensive wall and El Palmar beach, which is nearly 5 kilometres long, and is noted for its crystalline water and fine sand.
As far as traditional customs are concerned, Barbate has always been closely identified with the almadraba fishing system, which has been used to catch tuna for centuries right back to the Roman and Phoenician eras. It is a fixed fishing system that is set up 3 kilometres off the coast and which traps the tuna on their way through the Straits of Gibraltar in search of warm waters. The town has a Canning Museum , which is connected to this traditional fishing technique
The town of Vejer de la Frontera is noted for its craft work using the leaves of the palm tree to manufacture horse-riding items, wickerwork and other related items. As you stroll through this pretty town, you will find several workshops and craft shops where the items produced by the skills of its craftsmen can be admired.
As far as the local cuisine is concerned, its main ingredients are produce from the sea. You can try tapas or dishes made out of the wide variety of fish from the Straits of Gibraltar. The red tuna fresh from the almadraba nets is the dish par excellence in Barbate.
Market garden produce and the meat from the local Retinto stock are also typical of Vejer. Its typical dishes are berza (cabbage stew), asparagus, golden thistle, lomo en manteca (pork loin in lard) and the local pastries, which will give the visitor to taste and enjoy its excellent cuisine.
The typical festivities include the fair and festivities of El Carmen (the patron saint of sailors) in Barbate, together with the Sardinada ( grilled sardine feast) in summer and its dances. Special mention should be made of the Toro Embolao (Bull with Flaming Horns) festivity in Vejer during Holy Week, the Spring Fair and its pilgrimages, without forgetting its Noche Flamenca flamenco festival declared to be an event in Andalusia of National Tourist Interest.
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