S’Albufera de Mallorca is a massive wetland area covering over 2,500 hectares. It's part of the municipality of Alcúdia, Muro and sa Pobla. This is one of the most important and extraordinary ecological zones on the island.

Over half of this park (1,700 hectares) is a protected zone and has remained relatively undisturbed for a long time period. Environmentally, it’s a very privelidged place.

Every year, during the summer, the park gets flooded with seawater. During the rest of the year the park gets nourished by freshwater coming from the mountains.
This causes salted earth.


S’Albufera is home to a wide variety of indigineous flora (saltworts, rushes elm trees, tamarisks and albàs) but the main vegetation is the canyet and the cesquera plants. Traditionally, they were used for feeding livestock.

There’s also a huge variety of wildlife living within the park, birds in particular. S’Albufera has about 230 species of bird that live or nest in this protected natural space.

Nesting birds include: the coot, the cap-blau, the suís, the avisador and the sedge-warble. Migratory species which stop here only to rest include flamingos and limícoles. Ducks and herons tend to spend the whole winter here.

In the wetland areas, you’ll see various types of fish (eels, sea-pechs and silverfish) as well as numerous amphibians and reptiles.

The arrival of tourism in the 1960’s changed the landscape of S’Albufera quite dramatically. The coastal area was built up extensively with many lakes and canals constructed around the hotels and apartment blocks.

In1998 the Balearic Government put a halt to all this. They declared S’Albufera the first Natural Park on the Balearic Islands, with a total of 1,700 hectares protected. It also became a ZEPA (Bird Special Protection Zone), and Biosphere Reserve.

S’Albufera de Mallorca is a natural paradise… one of the most beautiful places on the island.

Parc Natural de s'Albufera de Mallorca
Llista de Correus E-07458 Can Picafort - MALLORCA
Tel: (+34) 971 89 22 50 Fax: (+34) 971 89 21 58
E-Mail: salbufera@oninet.es
http://www.mallorcaweb.net/salbufera