The Lagunas de la Subbética—more precisely known as the Southern Córdoba Wetlands—are a karst landscape consisting of permanent and seasonal lagoons located in the Sierras Subbéticas region, in the province of Córdoba, Andalusia. This area, protected as a Nature Reserve since 1984 and part of Wetland ES0000034, covers 1,501.78 hectares spread across municipalities such as Luque, Lucena, Aguilar de la Frontera, and Puente Genil. The area includes large lagoons such as Laguna del Conde (also known as Laguna del Salobral), which covers 46.60 hectares and features purple-colored saltwater, as well as smaller ones like Laguna del Chinche (7 hectares) and Laguna de los Jarales. From the visitor center—which is easily accessible via the Vía Verde del Aceite in Luque— visitors can observe a landscape of shallow, seasonal wetlands surrounded by tamarisk thickets, reed beds, and a belt of Mediterranean vegetation around the lagoons, contrasting with the extensive olive groves and vineyards of the Cordoba countryside. The ecological importance of the site is extraordinary: it is one of the most important refuges in southern Andalusia for the wintering and nesting of waterfowl, with occasional sightings of species such as the ruddy shelduck, the common coot, the white-headed duck, and, in the Laguna de los Jarales, the rare white-headed duck and the horned coot. Laguna del Conde, the largest of the group, is characterized by its lack of elevation changes and by the fact that it frequently dries up in late summer, which defines its seasonal nature. The best time to visit this area is during the spring (March through June), when the lagoon is full of water and the birdlife is most abundant and active, or in the fall to observe overwintering migratory birds. Winter also offers good conditions if there is no extreme drought, while summer can result in a dry landscape that is less interesting for wildlife observation.
