The Bay of Cádiz, traditionally an area of seafaring folk and shipbuilding, is one of the most heavily populated parts of Andalusia. Despite this high population density the bay still conserves large “patches” of natural saltmarsh that have gone largely unscathed over time. It is a mixed habitat of pine copses, mudflats, dunes, creeks, swamps and beaches, dotted with isolated buildings and old anchored boats. This habitat is the haunt of a rich collection of breeding and passage birds, drawn in by the standing water and the bay’s singular plantlife.

The tide of the nearby Atlantic Ocean, rising and falling, marks the whole area’s biorhythm, bringing in salt water to mix with the fresh water washed down by the rivers Guadalete, San Pedro and many smaller streams. This is a patchwork landscape of beach- and dune -pinewoods (of Stone Pine), reed beds, saltwort swamps, tamarisk and bulrush in the flood-prone areas. Birds commonly spotted in this area include Flamingos, Black Winged Stilts, Avocets, Herons and Little Terns, all feeding on the bay’s rich marine fauna (mussels, crabs, shrimps and prawns), food source that also sustains one of the saltmarsh’s traditional activities: "marisqueo" (seafood gathering) and low-tech fishing. Pride of place among the land fauna goes to the Common Chameleon.

Puerto Real (to the north), San Fernando (in the centre) or Chiclana de la Frontera (to the south), are the most usual gateways into the park, which is also accessible from the capital itself: Cádiz.

Puerto Real, with its grand Town Hall, lives off the huge nearby shipyards. Its gridlike streets boast fine balconied mansions with carved stone window- and door-openings. Particularly quaint spots are the alleyway called the “Callejón del Arco” or the street called “Calle Ancha, home to the churches Iglesia de San Sebastián and Iglesia de San José, respectively.

San Fernando is a busy port and salt-producing town lying on the Isla de León, which is connected to the rest of the peninsula by the Zuazo bridge. The hub of the town is the huge square called Plaza del Rey, dominated by its neoclassical Town Hall with an imperial marble staircase. On one side stands the Teatro de las Cortes, the theatre where Spain’s first ever constitution was proclaimed. On the other side stands the stunning neoclassical church Iglesia Mayor de San Pedro y San Pablo. There are also many impressive buildings linked to the town’s military past, such as the Navy’s Astronomical Observatory, built in 1798, the Carraca shipyard or the Panteón de Marinos Ilustres. The castle called Castillo de San Romualdo is another notable building serving as a reminder of the island’s strategic importance in the past.

Thronged by saltpans, vineyards and dunes, the busy tourist resort of Chiclana de la Frontera lies opposite the celebrated Sancti-Petri. One of its most impressive sights is the Iglesia de San Juan Bautista and the well-known clock tower called the Arquillo del Reloj. Other notable buildings are the Capilla de la Vera Cruz, the Town Hall or the old Casa de la Misericordia (House of Mercy) and the Iglesia de la Santísima Trinidad, the parish church.

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