I characterized 33 small water bodies from the southern Spain provinces of Seville, Cadiz, and Malaga using hydrochemistry (geochemical analyses), hydrology (water budgets), geological surveys, and local knowledge. Based on hydrogeological criteria (association with permeable materials), water bodies were grouped into three categories: 1) wetlands associated with permeable materials (playa-lakes), 2) wetlands associated with impermeable materials (ponds and pools), and 3) artificial wetlands. The three wetland typologies differed in morpho-structural indices, hydrogeological functioning, water chemistry, flora and fauna, and vulnerability to a range of human impacts, and these attributes need consideration in habitat management and conservation.