Donana National Park is situated at the estuary of the Guadalquivir river which is the second longest river in Spain. The Park is also known as Coto de Donana. The Park consists of marshland, lagoons, dunes, and forest. A great variety of birds live there, in the winter hundreds of thousands of migrating birds and waterfowl can be seen. Other wildlife in the Park included Lynx, Deer and Wild Boar. At Sanlúcar de Barrameda a boat trip can be booked which takes the visitor up the river and into the park for a short way. There is also a visitor center at Sanlucar with information about the Park. These pictures show the pier at Sanlucar, the tour boat, and on the left a view from the boat while travelling up river. Back to main Andalucia page Back to Home Page

The name Guadalquivir comes from the Arabic or Moorish word Wadi al-Kabir, meaning the big river.This picture shows one of the unusual butterfly-like fishing boats used in this area of the river. The landing pier where visitors on the guided tour leave the boat and venture into the park. Nearby is a small group of thatched houses, these are not permanently occupied today. A closer view of the thatched houses. This picture shows part of the forest area near the small village. We saw some wild boar in this area.