Laguna de Toro

Laguna de Toro is a small, seasonal saline lagoon in the municipality of Campillos, in the province of Málaga, next to Cortijo de Toro, at an altitude of around 455 metres.

Where exactly is Laguna de Toro?

The lagoon sits on flat farmland just south of the town of Campillos. Its closest neighbour is Laguna de Capacete, only a few dozen metres away. Together they belong to a wider group known as the Lagunas de Campillos, made up of eleven lagoons in total: Toro, Dulce, Salada, Capacete, Camuñas, Cerero, Redonda, Lobón, Marcela, Panza and Menaute.

Is Laguna de Toro part of a protected nature reserve?

Not entirely. The formally protected core of the area is the Lagunas de Campillos Natural Reserve, created in 1989 and covering 1,338.21 hectares. The reserve safeguards five of the lagoons — Dulce, Salada, Camuñas, Capacete and Cerero — which have also been listed as a Ramsar wetland site since 2006 and form part of the Natura 2000 network. Laguna de Toro sits outside those official boundaries. Its bed has been ploughed and is used for farming, leaving it in a noticeably poorer state of conservation than the neighbouring protected lagoons.

What does it look like, and when does it actually hold water?

Laguna de Toro is endorheic, meaning it has no outlet to the sea, and its water level depends entirely on rainfall. The water is fairly saline, and the lagoon holds it for a shorter time than most of the others in the group — it dries out fastest of the whole complex. A drainage ditch running alongside a nearby road carries away part of the water that does collect, cutting availability even further. In practice, the bed is often visibly dry and used as cropland in summer and during dry spells, with water mainly appearing after the autumn and winter rains.

What birds can be seen around here?

The broader Lagunas de Campillos complex, which Laguna de Toro belongs to, is well known for waterbirds — ducks, flamingos, avocets, shovelers, pintails, coots and gulls have all been recorded in the area. That said, the neighbouring protected lagoons, especially Capacete, Dulce and Camuñas, hold water for longer and are generally the better spot for birdwatching than the fast-drying Laguna de Toro.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you swim in Laguna de Toro? No. It is a shallow, seasonal, saline lagoon surrounded by farmland and is not set up for water recreation.

When is the best time to visit Laguna de Toro? Water levels are highest in winter and early spring, after the rainy season. In summer the lagoon often dries out completely.

Is Laguna de Toro legally protected? The lagoon itself lies just outside the boundaries of the Lagunas de Campillos Natural Reserve, though it sits right next to it, immediately by Laguna de Capacete.

How do you get to Laguna de Toro? It's reached via local roads next to Cortijo de Toro, south of Campillos; the town of Campillos is the best starting point.