MAIN ATTRACTIONS
It is impressive to enjoy a water landscape in the middle of the dry plain of La Mancha and enjoy in their observation posts the birds that live in their surroundings.
These lagoons are of great importance as a breeding and wintering area for a large number of birds associated with wetlands (anatidae, waders, flamingos). It also has vegetable formations associated with the saline and tamarix spaces.
It holds three lagoons: Pueblo or La Vega Lagoon, the Retamar Lagoon and the Navalafuente Lagoon. Pueblo Lagoon receives contributions from the purified water of Pedro Muñoz Sewage Treatment Plant, so it has water throughout the year, although its physicochemical characteristics are very different from the original ones. The other two have a seasonal character, remaining dry most of the year and depending on their level of precipitation volume, so their current ecological characteristics differ significantly from those of the first lagoon.
WHAT WE'LL SEE
Vegetation formations that live in salt areas: a rarity in our country and in Europe, which make them unique. The small cordgrass orHelicteres guazumifoliaonly grows here. The tamarix tree, of steppe origin, is unique. And the white-headed duck is one of the most threatened aquatic birds in Spain.
The aquatic birds community is undoubtedly the most important at a fauna level, among the most important summer species: white-headed duck, little ringed plover, gull-billed tern, black-crested pochard, common pratincole, black-winged stilt and western swamphen Among the wintering ones: common shelduck, Eurasian curlew, black-tailed godwit, green sandpiper and common redshank. Sometimes there are squacco heron, pochard, Eurasian coot, osprey, teal, flamingo, redshank or black tern. Among the usual nesting species we can find the white-headed duck, little ringed plover, black-winged stilt, western swamphen, black-necked grebe, Gull-billed tern, or pied avocet, and among the nesting species: western marsh harrier, common pratincole, black tern, moustached warbler and stone-curlew.
ACCESS
From the municipality Pedro Muñoz by CM-3103 road that connects several of the lagoons. Returning to the village, we can take a road for vehicles that accesses the western margin of Retamar Lagoon. Others, such as Navalafuente, join the town with the N-420. From Ciudad Real, take the A-43.
Next to Laguna del Pueblo there is an observatory in which there are observation posters. In Retamar Lagoon there is an observatory on its west bank, located about 3 km away from Pedro Muñoz, to which it is acceded by a road for vehicles.
MOST SUITABLE VISIT TIME. WHAT TO TAKE
Any season is suitable. Do not forget your camera and binoculars.
