17/06/2026
Just a few kilometres from Vejer lies El Palomar de la Breña, specifically in San Ambrosio (Barbate). It is situated within an 18th-century estate, where there were once other crossroads.
What you will find there is the world's largest dovecote, listed in the Guinness Book of Records. A total of 7,770 terracotta pigeon nests have been preserved along the walls, which are up to 11 metres high. The Breña dovecote could hold 15,000 pigeons (10,000 adults and 5,000 young).
The primary product derived from the pigeons was manure, or 'palomina', considered the finest organic fertiliser, it was so concentrated that it had to be diluted with water or manure from other animals to prevent it from scorching the crops.
Thanks to other well-documented dovecotes, one can estimate the output of the dovecote manure production of the Palomar de la Breña to be between 10 and 15 tonnes of manure per year.
The pigeons were also used as messengers and their droppings were the basis of gunpowder.
This site is striking for the beauty of its landscape and the curiosities it holds.
