El Estrecho Natural Park

El Estrecho (The Strait) Natural Park (Spanish: Parque Natural del Estrecho) is a natural park in Spain, located on the northern side of the Strait of Gibraltar.

Comprising 189.1 square kilometres, it was declared a natural park in 2003 and is the southernmost park of Europe. The park is located at the southernmost point of mainland Spain, and of mainland Europe, making it the southernmost park of Europe. The location at the point where the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea meet in the Strait of Gibraltar places it on the migratory route for many birds.

Estrecho Natural Park is located on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula and protects the area of the coast from the Bay of Getares (Algeciras) to Cape Grace (Tarifa). It was declared a nature reserve in the year 2003 and is a protected area of 18,910 hectares. It is the most southerly protected area of the European continent and unites ecological, scenic, historical and cultural themes. It is part of the Transcontinental Biosphere Reserve of the Mediterranean since it was designated in 2006.

The east coast of the park is on the Mediterranean Sea and west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean. The Strait of Gibraltar, which links these seas and separates Europe from Africa, is a stopping point for migratory birds and marine mammals. The distance between the two continents is only 14 km and from prehistoric times this step is also a transit path for humans.

The union of two oceans makes unique marine environment that houses an exceptional biodiversity of extraordinary interest. The climate of the area is characterized by mild temperatures and a dry season and a total lack of rain.

Like all parks in Andalusia, El Estrecho Natural Park has a management board and an advisory body to the Governing Board. Since its creation, the conservative director of the park is Jesus Cabello Medina, forest engineer, who has enjoyed a career in the Ministry of Environment. The Governing Board is chaired by Sena Ildefonso Rodríguez, journalist and professor, re-elected in February 2008 for his second term.

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