World Heritage Cities in Spain

NATURE IN THE CULTURAL HERITAGE CITIES

a a LOS BARRUECOS NATURE RESERVE

ing the Proserpina Reservoir you'll find an irresistible blend of Roman archae- ological remains, local biodiversity and Mediterranean vegetation. A little near- er to Cáceres, in a Special Protection Area for Birds, you have the Llanos de Cáceres and Sierra de Fuentes and the extraordinary rock formations of Los Barruecos . Córdoba is one of the best examples when talking of natural wealth. From the Roman bridge you can look out over the Sotos de Albolafia , the islets and banks of the Guadalquivir River populated by an amazing variety of spe- cies of trees. Wend your way through the maze of palm, orange and lemon trees in the gardens of the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos . It's a great idea to take a guided night tour during the sum-

Buildings and remains from ancient times are the very soul of our Cultural Heritage Cities, but many of them have wonderful green areas inside and out- side their walled enclosures. In Alcalá de Henares, O'Donnell Park is the nearest green lung to the historical town centre. You'll love the spectacular rose garden and the lake full of ducks. From there you can go to the Pasillo Verde del Camarmilla , a green walkway where the ecosystem surrounding the stream which runs around Alcalá has been recovered. The parks in Mérida are mostly on the banks of the Guadiana River . If you're looking for really large natural areas, the best of them will be found a few kilo- metres from the city. In the Cornalvo Nature Reserve and the area surround-

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