HALF A CENTURY ago, two young men begged Europe to stop a wetland in southern Spain from being wiped out by wealthy landowners exploiting the area for eucalyptus and rice farming – and the Doñana National Park, now one of the continents most treasured natural conservation areas, was born.
Bird-watcher and animal-lover Mauricio González-Gordon, 26, and his friend José Antonio Valverde, aged 23, sick, impoverished and having barely been to school, started the wheels in motion on what would become the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Spanish Ornithology Society (SEO) as well as saving what is now – according to the International Union for Nature Conservation's Green List - one of the 25 best-preserved natural beauty zones on earth.
By 1969, it had been designated as a National Park, and by 1994, a UNESCO natural heritage site.
Spanning three provinces – those of Cádiz, Sevilla and Huelva, where most of it is based – taking up 543 square kilometres of marshes, sand dunes and streams and flowing into the river Guadalquivir delta in the Atlantic Ocean, and twinned with southern France's Camargue Natural Regional Park (famous for its grey horses roaming wild), the Doñana was named after the wife of the VII Duke of Medina-Sidonia, Doña Ana de Silva y Mendoza (Doña being a respectful form of address for females).
Exploding with endangered, untamed fauna, the Doñana is home to creatures you won't find in any other country: the Iberian Lynx, the Spanish red deer and imperial eagles among them.
Southern European species that live and breed naturally in the park include the regional strain of badger, wild boar, Egyptian mongoose, and migratory birds and birds of prey from two continents; what makes the Doñana unique is that its ecosystem is a convergence between those of Africa and Europe, served by the Strait of Gibraltar, and a bridge between land and sea where freshwater and salt-marsh biodiversity collide.
It was even home to feral dromedaries until around the 1950s, thought to have been either introduced by the Arab occupiers who conquered Spain in the eighth century, or to have escaped from the herd known to have been owned by the Marquis of Molina in the early 19th century and used to work the land and carry heavy loads.
Despite being a regular and favourite holiday destination for Spain's former president, Mariano Rajoy, the Doñana is never far from threats to its fragile wildlife and landscape – illegal farming and attempts to store industrial gas in its subsoil caused widespread outrage in late 2016, the latter of which was finally called off due to public pressure; Ecologists in Action have warned about mining operations slipping through the net, fossil-fuel fly-tipping, and over-exploitation of its water pockets, attempts to drain the marshes, and of course, the ongoing threat of climate change are all placing the Doñana under a worrying amount of pressure.
Which is why its 50th anniversary should not go unnoticed – and some efforts to raise its profile in this landmark year have been made, including the Doñana Natural Life fair in the hamlet of El Rocío, Huelva province, and the online photo gallery Donana50.es created by José María Pérez de Ayala, whose stunning pictures of deer in the desert-like dune area and wild Retuerta horses and flamingos crossing the salt flats are featured here.
Visiting the Doñana
Keeping any rural area alive and well, be they inland, remote villages suffering from population exodus and ageing, uninhabited countryside, or conservation zones, requires two key ingredients: funding and awareness. The latter is conducive to the former, since it creates the kind of wonder and passion for a site that leads to campaigning for its preservation and to donations to maintain it.
Both of these are achievable in one hit through tourism, although this has to be highly-sustainable to avoid defeating the object and causing the kind of damage you hope to prevent.
Luckily, nature-lovers are in for a treat if they visit the Doñana: bird-watching trips, treks on horseback, safaris in a 4x4 or on foot, run by experienced guides, in groups, for schools or private tours can all be booked online and the area is well-served by airports, trains and motorways.
As an example, a three-and-a-half- to four-hour tour costs just €30, or €15 for accompanied children under 10, payable in cash on the day or via bank transfer. Groups are given a telescope between them and binoculars are provided for pairs. A morning visit sets off from El Rocío at 08.00, and times for the afternoon safari vary according to time of year.
Adapted vehicles for the disabled, if booked at least three days in advance, are available, as are tours in English if requested when reserving.
These classic tours take you through the main ecosystems in the park – the woodland, salt marshes and dunes – as well as giving you a quick tour of El Rocío, its winding lanes, church, and general culture and folklore, where you'll get to hear all about its annual fiestas, plus a stop at the information centre to read up on and see pictures of anything you missed.
A combined tour is in group in a 4x4 and also on horseback along the dunes and white sand beaches and pine forests, costing €50, or other options include a 4x4 safari covering over 100 kilometres and lunch in a traditional restaurant in El Rocío, costing €60, or a shorter safari plus a tour of a wine merchant's, including a visit to the cellar, wine-tasting and a bottle of wine per person, costing €35.
The horseback tour is a perfect way to catch sight of wildlife which would normally flee from the presence of humans – horses do not pose so much of a threat, so animals, such as deer and badgers, are not scared of them and are likely to roam around closer to you than they would if they saw a truck or a hiker.
You can even tour the Doñana by boat or kayak in the company of expert professional guides.
Treat yourself this spring to a healthy dose of nature and wonder, and enjoy the privilege of dipping into the heart of the wild world and its beautiful creatures, seeing them living as though nobody's watching.
First and second photographs by José María Pérez de Ayala
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