Located in the northwest of Malaga province, the Fuente de Piedra lagoon lies amongst olive groves and cereal crops. It is six kilometres long and covers an area of almost 1,400 hectares, making it the largest wetland area in inland Andalusia, and one of the biggest in Spain, along with the Gallocanta lagoon in Zaragoza.

The lagoon has shallow saline waters and is internationally recognised as being home to the largest colony of flamingos on the Iberian Peninsula, and the second largest in Europe. Up to 20,000 mating pairs of flamingos have been registered here. Early mornings in spring are the best time to see them, and every year many volunteers come to help with the tagging of these birds. Furthermore, 170 other bird species come to this lake to nest, make stops on their migratory routes or spend the winter, especially water birds such as the white-headed duck, grey heron and slender-billed gull. There are various public observatories on the lake that you can use for bird watching. Other good viewing points are Las Vicarías viewpoint and the Madriguera area.

This wetland is maintained with rainwater and an underground aquifer, with beautiful landscapes surrounding it throughout the year. In summer, when other wetland areas are harder to find, it becomes a major feeding and nesting ground for bird life.

At Fuente de Piedra, cultivated fields alternate with unusual plant species because the terrain around the lake has very high salt content. This type of vegetation is called halophyte and is perfectly adapted to such conditions, and very valuable from a botanical point of view. Other species, such as tamarisk, form copses that are vital for the birds, providing shelter in which to reproduce. The salt content here led to large salt extraction pans being used on the lake from Roman times through to the 1950s. You can still see the remains of these facilities with dykes that were used to remove the water, encouraging the salt to crystallise. Nowadays these constructions are largely used by birds for nesting.

After visiting the lake, an interesting option is to head to the village of Fuente de Piedra; its name is linked to a famous spring with curative properties that you can still see in Plaza de la Constitución. Especially noteworthy in this village of narrow streets and whitewashed houses with wrought iron balconies, is the unique La Marquesa Palace. Another attraction in this village is the gastronomy, based around olive oil of the finest quality (Denomination of Origin). Special mention should also be made of the cured meats, "migas" (fried breadcrumbs) and "porra antequerana" (similar to gazpacho), as well as typical summer dishes that incorporate broad beans and asparagus.