Issue date: 19 Jul, 2007

NATURALEZA

CONSULT RATES

NATURALEZA

HISTORY

A number of stamps have been issued within the Nature series, such as those devoted to Las Medulas, Monte perdido, Ribeira Sacra, Parque Natural de Gata-Níjar, Organos de Montoro del Maestrazgo, Islas Cies, Delta del Ebro and Caldera de Taburiente. This year two more are issued featuring the Parc Natural de L’Albufera and the Lagunas de Ruidera. Both depicting panoramic scenes from these parks.

Near the city of Valencia, we find the Parqe Natural de la Albufera which was declared as such by the Government of Valencia on the 23rd July 1986. It has a surface area of 21.039 hectares comprising the lake known as Albufera, the damp surrounding area and the littoral border known as Dehesa del Saler. This park has a Mediterranean climate. Flora is scarce, both in the area that was part of the lake at a time as in the current lake, although the sandy strip bordering the water is rich in vegetation such as mastic and buckthorn. Also in areas of rocky earth grow typical plants from the Mediterranean forest such as pine trees, rosemary and gorse whilst in the humid areas grow underwater, floating and boggy species such as reeds and bulrush. With regards to the fauna, there are eels and sea bass besides other species common to the area. But if this park is famous for something is for its outstanding poultry richness with the red duck and the mallads, besides the herons and the seagulls.

The Parque Natural de las Lagunas de Ruidera is located in the region of Castilla-La Mancha, more specifically in the towns of Ruidera, Argamasill de Alba and Villahermosa all in the province of Ciudad Real and in Argamasilla in Albacete. This park has 15 lakes or lagoons set lengthwise along a valley. They appear separated one from the other by natural barriers creating small waterfalls, streams and underground currents that connect each upper lake with the next one. The Peñarroya reservoir is also part of the lake with a surface area of of 3.772 Hectares. Inside this park are the remains of the castles of Peñarroya and Rocafrida. There is plenty of vegetation in the lakes such as reeds and bulrush and plenty of fish and the lagoons attract a great variety of fauna, specially birds that use the area to hibernate.