Río San Pedro and Los Toruños

This one is dedicated to Raymond on the grounds that the highest point is about 6 metres above sea level so even you won’t get out of puff!
The circuit described here is about 9 kilometres and completely flat so if you feel athletic you can treat it as a speed walk or, if not, enjoy it as a nature trail with dozens of different birds and plants to watch out for. The route is also suitable for cycling and if you are really feeling athletic there is exercise apparatus at various points along the way. We start at the Venta El Macka near Valdelagrana, Puerto Santa María. As you approach from Cádiz/Chiclana take the first exit for Puerto de Santa María and then the first turning towards Valdelagrana (a loop around to the left and then across the main carriageway), on the other side of the main carriageway there is a roundabout which you use to turn left so you have actually done a 180 degree turn and are heading back towards Cádiz but on a little track slightly below the main road. This leads you to El Macka where you can leave the car. Walk across the pedestrian section of the bridge stopping in the middle to enjoy the view up the Río San Pedro towards Cadiz and then turn right and just follow the trail always keeping the river on your right. After a while you may hear a scuttling sound and feel as if hundreds of pairs of eyes are watching you and if you look down you’ll see that you are indeed being watched... by hundreds of small crabs that thrive on the rich inter-tidal mudflats. The presence of these crabs and other crustaceans along with the shoals of fish attracts many different birds, including gulls, redshanks, curlews, egrets and sandpipers. At one point the track takes you close to the road and follows a boardwalk made of old railway sleepers  that carries you over little creeks and inlets. It’s a great idea but be careful as the sleepers are very uneven and have tripped more than one unwary walker.

Between the boardwalk and the bridge that will take you back over the river take the opportunity to look at the differing vegetation defined by the salinity of the soil and how frequently it is covered by the tides. In general the areas of marsh where vegetation survives are only flooded by spring tides but within these areas there are places where you can make out three distinct bands. The marginally higher ground is flooded only rarely and supports primarily shrubby or glaucous glasswortwhich can only tolerate relatively low salinity; in the middle band the fleshymarsh samphirepredominates while the lower fringe of the marsh vegetation (which is flooded by the spring tides every 15 days) will only supportmarram grass.As you approach the bridge, take a few minutes to wander slowly through the small pine forest (Pinar del Algaida) where the ecosystem changes completely consisting of the pines themselves, palmettos, kermes oak, and broom while waders and crabs give way to finches, blackbirds, robins and even a colony of rabbits. Just off to the right of the bridge is a small wooden tower which is well worth climbing for the views over the river. Once over the bridge, follow another uneven boardwalk to a crossroads where a right turn takes you onto the long straight road back to the gated entrance to the Natural Park and then another right will take you back along the road towards El Macka.

There are also a couple of diversions off to the beach (Playa del Levante) which is well worth a visit for the views over the Bay of Cadiz to El Puerto, Rota and Cadiz itself. If you do go for this option, you will need to double back to rejoin the main track as the beach itself is dissected by a series of deceptively deep creeks and backed by some thick vegetation which mean that you can’t just wander along it and cut back up to the main track.

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