Environment

Andalucia is host to a very rich variety of wildflowers in widely diverse habitats, some species growing nowhere else. Here we present a brief list of some of the more common wild flowers found in Andalucia.

The most common wild animals found in the more remote parts of Andalucia are outlined below.

A brief guide to some of the common trees found in Andalucia: alder, ash tree, avocado tree, carob tree, cork oak, elm, enebro, evergreen oak, fig tree, gall oak, juniper, jacaranda, lemon, maple, orange, polar, pinsapo, wild olive, willow and more.

Driving through Andalucìa, it is easy to see that the most abundant crop throughout the Andalucìa and, in particular, Jaèn is the olive. In certain areas, tidy line after line of olive trees stretch for as far as the eye can see. In Jaèn more than 4.500 square kilometres is devoted to olive groves containing around 40 million olive trees.

Nearly a fifth of Andalucia is protected, the largest proportion of an autonomous region in Spain, reflecting the unspoilt nature of its countryside and the high ecological importance of its territory. The environment department, the Consejería de Medio Ambiente, of the regional Andalucian government is in charge of overseeing the protected areas.

Andalucia has a number of Marine Centres that are ideal for family entertainment and education. Most are open from May to September. There are also a number of small quieter Marine Science Centres that are also open to the public as an educational and environmental projects.

Andalucia has an amazingly wide variety of scenery - from Europe's second-highest mountain range, to the continent's only desert, tidal marshes recognised as a biosphere by UNESCO, ancient oak forests, and of course hundreds of km of stunning coastline, from smooth, flat arcs of golden sand to lofty, dramatic cliffs.

Andalucia is the perfect place for renewable energy, with its miles of coastline where wind turbines can harness the sea breezes, and its endless hours of sunshine, which can be absorbed by solar panels and turned into energy. In fact, one of Europe´s largest solar farms is in Andalucia, in Sanlucar la Mayor, near Seville.

On this page you will find a Glossary of geographical terms.

The Mediterranean garden is a subject of great interest to more and more people - not only avid gardeners looking for ideas for their own gardens but also tourists who find being surrounded by the peace and tranquillity of the well maintained garden enjoyable in its own right.

Five of Andalusia's eight provinces have stretches of coastline (Almería, Granada, Málaga on the Mediterranean; Cádiz and Huelva on the Atlantic), while a sixth, Sevilla, has a tidal river and a seaport. So, you can imagine that the cooking of the coastal regions is distinguished by a huge variety of seafood. The fish market is a great place to get acquainted with the local catch.

Andalucia has a magnificent variety of flora and fauna, thanks to its location between the African and European continents and between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic oceans. Not only that, but its topology and geology all contribute to the fact that it has the highest number of species of flora and trees in Europe.

Vetiver is mainly used for controlling erosion as it traps sediment, slows down the flow of water, and allows you to channel the water to where you want it to go. When placed in an inlet where springs or runoff water feeds another body of water it slows down the runoff while filtering the incoming water.

For individuals, governments and companies committed to the idea of powering our technological age with clean, renewable energy, wind and solar power are a natural fit. Wind-powered technology has matured over the past two decades, driving down costs and driving up efficiency.

Andalucía is a birdwatcher's paradise and attracts ornithologists throughout the year. The best time of the year, however, is during the spring, as this is when you can see many wintering species, together with those arriving for the summer months.