Top 9 Natural Monuments around Alcaudete

A spectacular place with a new sculpture every day. But keep in mind that it's a private space where the owner has created his own non-profit gallery. It should be respected, and if it's not well signposted, simply asking around and spreading the word will surely help ensure this unique spot remains undisturbed.

The Laguna Honda is a remarkable nature reserve along the Vía Verde del Aceite in the province of Jaén, Andalusia. It is located in the municipality of Alcaudete, about 7 km northwest of the town center, nestled between the Sierra de Orbes and the Guadalquivir plain. With an area of around 65 hectares and an additional protected zone of 220 hectares, it is one of the most important wetlands in the region. Laguna Honda is an endorheic, shallow salt lagoon whose high salt content is due to the clayey and calcareous soils. It is mainly fed by rainwater and a small tributary from the Sierra de Orbes. Despite its shallow depth, it is a valuable habitat for numerous bird species, including flamingos, ducks, and other water birds that rest or breed here.

The Laguna del Conde (also known as Laguna del Salobral) is an important wetland that serves as a habitat for numerous bird species such as flamingos, cormorants, and ducks. Along the Vía Verde, there are viewpoints from which visitors can observe the wildlife.

More information is available here: https://espaciosnaturalesdejaen.com/espacios/nacimiento-del-rio-san-juan.html

Laguna Honda, located in a place known as Tumbalagraja, is a unique space that was declared a nature reserve in 1989 and belongs to the municipality of Alcaudete in Jaén. The first autumn rains flood the lagoon, which manages to retain a small amount of water until the arrival of spring. This fact, together with the contribution of the current that enters from a small stream in the Sierra de Orbes, makes it the most persistent natural wetland in the province. Of the original vegetation, two species remain, the bulrush and the reed, which together with the reed and the tamarisk form the vegetation around the lagoon. Visitors who come to this beautiful place can enjoy the birds that can be found there, such as the redfish, the coot or the white-headed duck. On some occasions you can even see small flocks of pink flamingos.

The Lagoon del Conde or Salobral Lagoon is a temporary lagoon that reaches a maximum flood level in spring and subsides in summer. The lagoon is filled by rainfall that falls directly on the surface of the lagoon and by surface runoff from its catchment area, particularly from the Carrascón stream. The lagoon is on the migratory route that many birds follow towards the African continent in northeastern Europe. Like the rest of the wetland areas south of Córdoba, the Salobral Lagoon is integrated into the European Natura 2000 network.

This lagoon, which belongs to the municipality of Luque, is the largest of all the seasonal waters in the province of Córdoba, with a surface area of 46.6 hectares. It was declared a nature reserve in 1989 due to its special value as a wintering and breeding ground for migratory birds. Due to the gentle slope of the terrain and its shallow depth, the wetland is home to numerous wading birds that use the lagoon as a passage and breeding area. The main bird species are the black-winged stilt, the European lapwing, the curlew, the teal, the white-headed duck, the Kentish plover, the tern and the Montagu's harrier, among many other species.

The Guadajoz River rises just before the tail of the reservoir from the union of the Salado River and the San Juan River and flows into the Guadalquivir near the municipality of Córdoba.