The Gallocanta lagoon is undoubtedly one of the great natural treasures that our region hides, being an "essential" for all those nature-loving travelers, especially for those who love ornithology.

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Straddling our region and the neighboring region of Jiloca, the Gallocanta Lagoon occupies the bottom of an endorheic basin (it has no outlet to river beds) of about 500 km2 to almost 1,000 m  altitude, so it constitutes a true salt lake in a mountain area , with also notable dimensions: it reaches 7.5 km in length and a width of 2.5 km. We are in front of the largest saline wetland in the Iberian Peninsula and one of the best preserved in Western Europe. It is nourished by small streams and runoff water but also has contributions from groundwater that emerge in small "eyes" of great interest due to the diversity of ecological conditions caused by mixing the warm and fresh water of the aquifer with the cold and salty from the lagoon.

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Due to its characteristics and environmental value, the Gallocanta Lagoon has a double conservationist recognition: it is recognized as a Wetland of International Importance (Ramsar Agreement) and is also a Natural Reserve.

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Given its nature and location, one of the most prominent living actors in the lagoon are birds: this is a very important point of passage in different migration routes, and given its characteristics and those of its surroundings there are more than 200 species of birds that they have been cited in the area (among nesting, wintering or passing). Despite all of them, there is one species that is the undisputed protagonist of Gallocanta: the common crane.

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The striking flocks of cranes that land in the lagoon area each year during the months of November and February number in the thousands, having reached more than 114,000 specimens in a single day. The moment in which the parties arrive at sunset in the lagoon en masse is one of the greatest visual and sound spectacles of nature.

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In addition to the birds, the lagoon is a point of enormous singularity at the flora level, counting on endemisms perfectly adapted to the conditions of the extreme salinity of the lagoon bed.

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To get to know the lagoon and its surroundings first-hand, we have two visitor information centers, one in the province of Zaragoza and the other in the province of Teruel: the Gallocanta visitor center , which is also a regional tourism office. It is located next to the wooden walkway that brings us closer to the lagoon itself, and it also has an interesting bird museum inside. At the other end, already in the province of Teruel, on the road that connects the towns of Bello and Tornos is the Interpretation Center of the Gallocanta Lagoon , belonging to the Government of Aragon.

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Gallocanta Lagoon Visitor Center                            Interpretation Center of the Gallocanta Lagoon

Ctra. Gallocanta - Berrueco s / n                                       Ctra Tornos - Bello (A-1507)

Tel. 976 803 069                                                  Tel. 978 734 031/650 204 819

ofgallocanta@comarcadedaroca.com