You do not have to be a twitcher to enjoy the sight of masses of waders, gulls or ducks, herons, egrets and black-winged stilts, to say nothing of the flamingos, avocets, spoonbills, and purple galinules, which would be there at a later time. Then there are the mammals: red and fallow deer and wild boar in fairly copious supply and not very timid.

However, the scenery alone would justify the trip. I am no expert, but as I understand it, there has been a pileup of inborn sand and silt from the rivers, which has created huge sand dunes and trapped masses of water inside to create large areas of swamp land.

The beach itself is quite something -- over 30 miles of hard sand with no buildings to mention is hardly typical of Spanish coasts.

When you turn inland to the area between the main river and the sea, there are sand dunes devoid of vegetation and others in various stages of cultivation by pines from tiny shoots to big trees and undergrowth.

Entry to the park is only in the official four wheel drive coaches from the park centre at Acebuche for €20, but this gives a trip of over four hours and a commentary in Spanish only. TIP: If you understand some but limited Spanish like me, ask for an extra [void] ticket in Spanish “to show your friends.” Tickets have a long tick-off list of creatures, so you can tell what the guide is showing people.