DONKEYS AND FLAMINGOS IN ANTEQUERA

Antequera is home to a number of attractions and here we have two for the price of one … both excursions are very close ... so are do-able in the one day. The easy, scenic route takes us on a 45 minute drive to the north of Malaga province bringing us to the beautiful valley of Antequera … with olive groves as far as the eye can see … and our first stop … … El Refugio del Burrito, literally the refuge of the little donkey.

It’s clear to see that the English and Spanish staff here just adores these friendly animals and go to any lengths (in fact, have travelled as far as Italy and Greece ! ) to rescue a badly treated donkey.

All have their stories and one donkey, Mono, was even arrested for smuggling in Kosovo and was impounded by the British Army before capturing the attention of the Donkey Sanctuary and being brought back to Spain … and to this haven of peace. This is a fun and interesting day out in Antequera … and there is even more to come on our next stop which is …

Something you do not expect to see when thinking about the Costa del Sol ... Wetlands ... inhabited by thousands of Pink Flamingos !

At the time of writing (May) there are currently 13,000 mating pairs of Flamingos in the Fuente de Piedra Lagoon … bringing this tranquil marsh back to life once again. It really is an extraordinarily beautiful sight.

The birds start arriving around February staying until the end of July and in that time have produced thousands of baby chicks. During the month long incubation, one or other of the parent birds sits on the egg (usually only the one) while the other fragile-looking but extremely resilient Flamingo flies off in search of food … sometimes travelling over 100 kilometres !

But, by three months the young can already fly and then, sadly for us, the newly formed Flamingo families start to leave the lagoon … and that, unfortunately, is that until it all starts again next year ! This is a glorious opportunity to visit the Spanish interior. Don’t miss it …you’ll enjoy it. Guaranteed !

Continuing the Antequera theme ...