Photograph by Marcelo del Pozo, Reuters/Corbis Name: Doñana
National Park Date Established: 1969 Size: 209 square miles (542
square kilometers) Did You Know? • Estuary The marshes, lagoons,
scrub woodlands, and sand dunes of Doñana National Park in
southwestern Spain sprawl along the Guadalquivir River at its
Atlantic Ocean estuary. Unlike many large European estuaries
this area remains largely unmarred by development or
agriculture. • Protected Area The park is one of Europe’s best
known conservation areas and has been designated a UNESCO
biosphere reserve, a Ramsar Wetland Site, and a UNESCO World
Heritage site. One of World Wildlife Fund’s first projects was
the 1969 purchase, in partnership with the Spanish government,
of a large area of Guadalquivir Delta wetlands to help create
the park. • Bird Haven More than half a million birds winter in
the park each year, and perhaps half of Europe’s bird species
can be spotted here at one time or another. • Beaches Doñana
boasts 24 miles (38 kilometers) of pristin