Wildlife in S'Albufera de Mallorca
- Ana Mano
- May 2, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: May 12, 2024
A paradise of fauna and flora to explore in the vibrant Balearic Island of Mallorca.
Palma de Mallorca has long been know for it's paradisiac beaches, but what many do not know is that this beautiful Balearic Island is home to a surprising diversity of fauna, and S'Albufera de Mallorca Natural Park makes it possible for all nature lovers to discover it's enchantments.
Situated in the northeast coast of the island, S'Albufera de Mallorca is a protected Natural Park characterised by a vast wetland area which is known to attract many incredible species. Here you can observe resident and migratory birds very closely thanks to the hides built along the park in some strategical locations. Also walking along the paths can be a magical experience and if you are attentive, you may come across Camargue Horses or Mallorcan cows, as well a huge variety of wildlife.
Which wildlife can be seen in S'Albufera de Mallorca
For the animal lovers, this is the most exciting part of visiting S'Albufera de Mallorca National Park, as the park shelters over 64 bird species and has seen around 303.
I had an amazing time visiting this park, its well taken care of and the incredible several hides make it possible to observe the wildlife without being seen. It is like watching a bird documentary live! Not only I saw a vast variety of birds as I was able to observe them doing their life course: mating, hatching, fighting, hunting... A lovely experience!
When I entered the park I followed the path along the Gran Canal and right there I could hear the loud Weastern cattle egrets, an attentive look to the trees across the canal and I could see them, small little white dots all over the trees. Some would fly over the canal, where some big fishes could be seen happily jumping in the water.
Walking along the the path took me to the Information center, and from there I started the several Itineraries. There are 4 Itineraries, 3 short (around 1km each) and a huge one (around 11km). I made all the short ones as the long one would require either a bike or literally the entire day walking as I usually make a lot of stops to observe the fauna and flora.
El Cibollar
From all the itineraries in S'Albufera de Mallorca my favourite was with no doubt El Cibollar. The walk along the incredible tunnel of leaned trees made me feel as if I would be in an enchanted forest and the two hides in this path were the ones with the best view to the wildlife of Mallorca.
Here I could observe Little ringed plovers, Pied avocets, Black-winged stilts, Great flamingos, Common Shelduck, Common Tern.
Sa Roca
The green path leading to the south from the information center presented a beautiful scenery where I could spot some beautiful Camargue Horses and a Glossy ibis on the way to the hides.
In Sa Roca hide I had the opportunity to observe a Little egret haunting, it was no doubt a beautiful experience. Later near the canal I saw a couple of Red knobbed-coots - a critically endangered species in Mallorca - at the little canal near the path.
Along the little canal there were a multitude of Dragonflies and Damselflies, with all kind of sizes and colours. I managed to capture this photo of a Scarlet Dragonfly.
Es Colombars
This was the most monotonous Itinerary of all, as the path only changes environment close to the end where the hide Es Colombars can be found. The landscape here is not as beautiful as in the other paths, partly due to the view to the huge power plant, which kind that cuts the nature landscape vibe. Nevertheless I was lucky to spot an amazing Green-eyed Hawker Dragonfly.
S'Albufera de Mallorca Rules
The National Park is open to everyone and free to visit all year round but there are some rules that the visitors have to respect in order to insure the peace of the wildlife of S'Albufera de Mallorca.
First of all, this is a sanctuary for wildlife, so we are not supposed to disturb in anyway both the fauna and flora, that means: excessive noise is unwelcome, and that includes, running, talking too loud or kids playing to wild; you can’t bring your furry friend as he would be considered as a predator by the majority of the park wildlife and create undesirable stress; removal of fauna and flora is not permitted; visitors are asked to remain in the main paths at all times; picnics are forbidden as well, but you may snack in the indicated places; and last but not least, feeding the animals is strictly forbidden - the wildlife is not supposed to become dependent from human kind and most people would feed them human foods which lead to disease and malnutrition.
There are some more rules that you can read at the S'Albufera main entrance, but these were the ones that caught my attention the most.
When to visit de National Park
Although the S'Albufera Park is open year round, it is not all day open, so I advise you to consult the actualised opening times before your visit. Usually the park is open for visitors between 9am and 6pm during high season and from 9am to 5pm during the low season.
I strongly advise you to visit early in the morning if you are wishing to explore the park in peace and silence, as it may get a bit to crowded from midday on.
Take in account that the time of the year of your visit may impact your expectations. I was in S'Albufera de Mallorca in April, when many migratory species can be found in the wetlands and the park was full of life!
Independently of when you visit S'Albufera de Mallorca Natural Park I recommend you to bring binoculars in case you have some, as some species may be to far to be spotted and observed without.
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