This deep, wooded dell is surrounded by the Par-3 course. The ornamental stream is not only for aesthetic purposes: it also serves for water storage. The stream attracts large numbers of frogs.

Water adds much to the diversity of any habitat. Terrapins, water boatmen, pond skaters, several brilliant dragonflies and a host of other invertebrate animals grace the water features of the course. Not only are these commoner species well represented, but one of the rarer amphibians, the sharp-ribbed salamander, also occurs in the Par-3 water garden.

The stream tumbles into a deep reservoir that is surrounded by loose boulders in thick cover. A raised walkway runs through the length of the sanctuary and covers a wide storm-drain that leads directly down to the river (the Arroyo Guadalquitón) in the valley below. This drain is the main highway for the otters that have bred at Valderrama in recent years. Easy frog fishing is to hand for the cubs, and well-stocked lakes elsewhere on the main course provide ideal conditions for the otter to raise its family.