The Punta Entinas-Sabinar Nature Reserve is home to one of the best-preserved dune systems on the Iberian Peninsula, as well as kilometres of fine sand on its beautiful unspoilt beach.

The existing vegetation has adapted well to the harsh conditions of the environment: sandy soils, high temperatures, scarcity of water and high saline concentrations. In particular, the sea daffodil, with its white flowers covered in tiny hairs to reflect the rays of the sun and avoid the loss of water. There is plenty of beachgrass on the dunes near the coast. This plant colonises and sets its roots firmly in the sand, making way for species such as the black juniper, the mastic tree and other shrubs to root themselves there too. One can therefore appreciate how a fossil dune ecosystem such as Punta Entinas-Sabinar came to be, home to a number of reptiles such as the Montpellier and horseshoe whip snake and the ocellated lizard. On the beach, visitors can see interesting species such as Audouin´s Gull, who keep their scarce colonies far away from human activity.

Along the Salinas de Cerrillo trail, there are floodplains of small ponds, marshes and salt flats, where you can appreciate birdlife such as the grey heron, waiting motionless in the hope of catching a fish with its long, spear-like beak. Or the shoveler duck, which gets its name from the shape and size of its beak. These fascinating birds build their nests out of mud amongst the reeds and bulrush in Charcón del Flamenco, laying just a single egg. When it hatches, both male and female share the duties of caring for the young chick.

El Ejido is nearby and you can visit the Fortified Tower of Balerma or Daimún, a Roman mausoleum dating from around the end of the 3rd century. You can also visit the archaeological remains of Ciavieja, and the Roman settlement town of Murgi, all of which represent the civilisations that inhabited these lands from 3,000 BC.