Cornalvo Natural Park
Holm oaks and cork oaks surround the Roman dam of Cornalvo, which was built over the Albarregas River to supply water to Augusta Emerita (Mérida).
Cornalvo nature all around the water
This dam was declared National Monument on December 13th 1912, and it is still in use nowadays.
The surrounding area is a natural park, which was declared a special protection area in 1988.
Low reliefs, broken by the Sierra Bermeja and Sierra del Moro mountain ranges, mark the park’s southern border.
Aljucén river and the rivers of Las Muelas and La Fresneda are the main watercourses in a land where native vegetation stands out.
The most representative landscape is formed by holm oaks and cork oaks that stretch out before plain lands, creating beautiful landscapes.
Holm oaks in Cornalvo
In the mountain range slopes Mediterranean forests grow; nowadays this habitat has almost disappeared from the surrounding areas around the Guadiana River.
This sort of ecosystem is highly preserved thanks to the few human constructions in the area. More than 250 vertebrate species live in Cornalvo.
For this reason it is noteworthy that two endangered species live in Cornalvo: the Jarabugo, an endemic fish which lives in the Aljucén River; and the black Stork. Several pairs of black storks have built nests on the top of cork oaks in Cornalvo to keep this unique bird alive.
There is a visitor’s center at the entrance of the Natural Park to inform visitors about the flora and the fauna, as well as interesting spots in the area.
Where to stay…