The Sancti Petri Marshlands is a space of 170 hectares of high landscape value. They are located in Chiclana de la Frontera. Between the Strait of Gibraltar and the Doñana National Park, its strategic location is of great importance for large numbers of migrating waterfowl.
The Sancti Petri Marshlands, of tidal type, is a space of 170 hectares of high landscape value. They are located in Chiclana de la Frontera, and it is one of the few marshes that has not been altered to be used as salt lake.
The condition of the island and the existence of an important forest mass (Pinar del Coto de la Isleta) are key. These contribute to provide an image of what should have been the dominant natural landscape throughout the Bay of Cádiz.
Between the Strait of Gibraltar and the Doñana National Park, its strategic location is of great importance for large numbers of migrating waterfowl. In addition, this setting is one of the most characteristic in the interaction between marine and terrestrial ecosystems, with a large presence of species of fish, birds and invertebrates.
Among the birds that inhabit or pass through this area, the yellow-legged gull, the pied avocet, the black-winged stilt and the little tern stand out. Among the sedentary birds we can find the woodlark, the white stork and the zitting cisticola. By the way, the Sancti Petri Marshlands was declared a Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA in Spanish).
On the other hand, this area has a great variety of plants that have adapted to the conditions of the place. The herbaceous seepweed or the verdolagas are resistant to high salinity.