The Sotos de la Albolafia natural monument is the stretch of the Guadalquivir River between the Roman Bridge and San Rafael Bridge, in the city of Cordoba.
The Sotos de la Albolafia natural monument is the stretch of the Guadalquivir River between the Roman Bridge and San Rafael Bridge, in the city of Cordoba.
The natural monument takes its name from the old Moorish waterwheel that stands in this section of the river. The Sotos de la Albolafia islands are noteworthy for their birdlife. Some 120 species have been spotted, a surprising number considering that the Sotos cover only two hectares. The bird species include squacco herons and ospreys, one of the most endangered birds of prey in Spain. Other birds you can spot include giant cormorants, grey herons, black-headed gulls, little bitterns, black-crowned herons, lesser kestrels, black kites, northern lapwings, avocets, moorhens and white storks. The area also boasts a great variety of plants, including tamarisks, poplars, ash, eucalyptus and even alders, interspersed with oleander and brambles. Wetland vegetation grows along the river banks and especially on the islands, making a dense cover of plants that can make it difficult to see firm ground. The landscape is spectacular during the flowering period, when a great variety of green hues combine with the pink oleanders and yellow lilies.
