The Laguna de Medina is the largest in the province of Cadiz and the second in Andalusia, after Fuente de Piedra. It is located ten kilometres from Jerez de la Frontera, in a landscape of rounded, cultivated hills whose smooth slopes direct rainwater to the lake. The surrounding soils, rich in gypsum, clay and marl are responsible for the salinity of its waters. This wetland area is semi-permanent. It reaches two metres at its deepest and dries out completely during the summer, in years with little rainfall.

If you follow its trail, you will see that there is a belt of vegetation around the lake with reeds, bulrushes, tamarisk and Bunium incrassatum, constituting an ideal habitat for endangered species of birds. This is true of the white-headed duck and the red-knobbled coot, leading to international recognition from various protection organisations. Along the way, depending on the time of year, it is also possible to spot other birds such as common teal, geese, pochards and red-crested pochards, as well as flamingos.

This Nature Reserve plays an important role as a winter retreat, mating ground and migratory stopping point for water birds. It is especially important as a refuge for those that lay their eggs at nearby wetland areas such as the Doñana National and Natural Park (Huelva / Seville / Cadiz). All of this makes Laguna de Medina an ideal place for bird watchers, especially in summer, when more than 20,000 ducks and coots gather here.

As you move away from the wetland area, the dominant vegetation is Mediterranean scrubland. It is well conserved in some areas, with wild olive, mastic, palmetto and rockrose. After this comes the rural landscape of typical farmhouses set between crops, mainly cereals and sunflowers. Agriculture is limited, mainly to protect the area's natural value as a reserve. Remnants of its can be seen in the form of old defensive buildings still standing next to the main road, via which we can reach the nearby Cartujo de Jerez Monastery, which is a true Renaissance treasure.