Salar de Los Canos Wetland
Vera - Almería

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Welcome to the Salar de Los Canos, included on the Andalucía Inventory of Wetlands. Your visit will give you the opportunity to enjoy one of Almería province’s most important ecosystems, one of the Levante region’s largest protected areas, and the habitat of numerous species of fauna and flora, including some with special protection.

During your walk around the perimeter, and especially from the observation tower, you will be able to spot the squacco heron, the marbled teal, the white-headed duck, and with a bit of luck, flamingos, grey herons, mallards and black-winged stilts.

In addition, other animal species such as the spur-thighed tortoise, the natterjack toad, the Montpellier snake, the ocellated lizard, Algerian sand racers and spiny-footed lizards, weasels, rabbits, wild boar and foxes make up part of the location’s fauna.

The wetland also has abundant flora, predominating salt marshes, reeds and other plants adapted to the zone, like reed beds and tamarisks.

The name Salar de los Canos appears to come from the use of the area as salt mines, although none are being exploited, nor has any documentary evidence of this activity been recorded. Nevertheless, the ownership of a plot in the name of “Catalan Salt Mines”, the existence of some archaeological evidence and some structures observed in aerial photographs from 1957, point to the existence of these salt mines. 

The area covers more than 57 hectares and is found a few metres from Vera beach, at three metres above sea level, and separated from the coastline by the road to Villaricos and the residential areas.

The area you are looking at is framed by the Almanzora sub-basin; specifically the final section of the Algarrobo Watercourse, over the Cubeta de Ballabona- Sierra Lisbona- River Antas body of groundwater.

Remember the protection of wetlands is everyone’s job.