Laguna de la Ratosa

Laguna de la Ratosa is a 22.7-hectare endorheic wetland straddling the municipalities of Alameda and Humilladero in Málaga province. Declared a Natural Reserve in 1989, it holds triple Natura 2000 status: Site of Community Importance (SCI), Special Conservation Zone (ZEC) and Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA), under code ES6170001. The lagoon is also listed in Andalusia's Wetland Inventory and has a 145-hectare buffer zone around the water body that restricts farming and grazing in its immediate surroundings.

The lagoon contains brackish, shallow water of a seasonal nature, meaning its water level fluctuates markedly throughout the year: it peaks in winter and spring after rains and may dry out partially or completely in summer. Far from reducing its ecological value, this seasonal character creates a specialist habitat that filters the species able to use it. Salinity and seasonal flooding are incompatible with fish, which benefits the aquatic invertebrates — especially crustaceans — that in turn form the food base for the birds that frequent the lagoon.

Birds are the main draw at Laguna de la Ratosa, with communities linked to the nearby Laguna de Fuente de Piedra, just 20 kilometres away. Greater flamingo uses the lagoon as a supplementary feeding area when water levels at Fuente de Piedra drop. Alongside flamingo, regularly recorded species include great crested grebe, black-necked grebe, grey heron, black-winged stilt, avocet, mallard, northern shoveler, red-crested pochard, marsh harrier and white-headed duck — one of Europe's most endangered waterfowl. Spring and autumn migration periods concentrate the highest species diversity, and winter brings wintering contingents taking advantage of the area's mild climate, with an annual average temperature of 16.8 °C.

The lagoon sits at roughly 450 metres above sea level, surrounded by gentle hills and cereal and olive farmland that define an open agricultural landscape. There are no tall trees on the shore, making long-range observation easy but also leaving visitors exposed to wind and direct sun. The low-angle light of early morning, when the lagoon's surface reflects the sky in pink tones and flamingos form lines across the water, is the condition most sought by visiting nature photographers. Access is free but regulated: approaching the water outside the designated paths is prohibited, and binoculars or a spotting scope are recommended to avoid disturbing the birdlife. Combining La Ratosa with nearby Fuente de Piedra on a single birding day is the most complete option for visitors to Málaga's inland wetlands.