Natural parks in Andalucia

Sierra de Maria-Los Velez

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A part of the Cordillera Bética mountain range which holds forests in an otherwise arid part of Almeria. The Sierra de Maria-Los Velez creates a haven for wildlife and a special biosphere for plants.
  • Region: Andalucia
  • Province: Almeria
  • Declared a Natural Park: 1987
  • Park surface area: 22,670 hectares
  • Z.E.P.A

Points of interest

A part of the Cordillera Bética mountain range which holds forests in an otherwise arid part of Almeria. The Sierra de Maria-Los Velez creates a haven for wildlife and a special biosphere for plants. The Sierras hold close to half of the plant species listed within Almeria. The main high point, the Sierra Maria, has northern facing slopes which are cooler and more humid, so the vegetation is dense. In contrast, the drier south facing high points are home to only a few plants that can withstand the poor soil and extremes of temperatures. Aptly named the hedgehog zone, these are generally low growing thorny, flowering cushions.

Velez Blanco. Footpaths and sceneries in the Sierra de Maria-Los Velez natural park

In Spanish this video show the spectacular sceneries and a few of the trails in the area.

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Los Alcornocales

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Los Alcornocales is a forest of Cork oak trees, the largest in Iberia
  • Region: Andalucia
  • Province: Cadiz/Malaga
  • Declared a Natural Park: 1989
  • Park surface area: 167.767 hectares
  • Villages and Towns in the area: Alcalá de Los Gazules, Algar, Algeciras, Arcos de La Frontera, Los Barrios, Benalup-casas Viejas, Benaocaz, El Bosque, Castellar de La Frontera, Cortes de La Frontera, Jerez de La Frontera, Jimena de La Frontera, Medina-sidonia, Prado del Rey, San Jose del Valle, San Roque, Tarifa, Ubrique

Points of interest

Los Alcornocales is a forest of Cork oak trees, the largest in Iberia and therefore important to the worlds cork supply. The park, which also embraces mountains, creates a green corridor from the Sierra de Grazalema natural park through to the coastal zone at Tarifa.

The harvesting of cork is done on a 9 to 12 year cycle. The bark is stripped from the tree by hand, packed onto mules and taken to forest tracks where it can be loaded onto a vehicle. The cork collection is only carried out for 3 months in the heat of summer when it separates easily from the tree.

Therefore, the fauna and flora are left undisturbed between these harvest times, giving an important refuge to many plants and animals.

Recent research has discovered a wealth of animal and plant forms that exist here because of the humidity. The heavy tree canopy and many deep water channels (canutos) combine to create a subtropical micro climate in a normally very dry part of Spain.

Find a a hotel in Los Alcornocales

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Sierra de Grazalema

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The Natural Park of the Sierra de Grazalema - Walking and Wildlife Holidays in Spain
  • Region: Andalucia
  • Provinces: Cadiz, Malaga
  • Declared a Natural Park: 1984
  • Park surface area: 51,695 hectares

Points of interest

The Natural Park of the Sierra de Grazalema has also been declared a Biosphere Reserve, this is due to the diverse geography with high limestone mountains and deep gorges such as Garganta Verde, (Green Gorge) that is 400m deep and filled with lush vegetation. In addition, it offers a great diversity of species- animals and vegetation.

Many species are represented in the Botanical Garden of El Bosque, which is a good place to see the more rare flora of the area.

Numerous species of birds live in the park, the Griffon vulture being the most recognizable by its sheer size and tendency to fly in numbers.

The area has also become famous as a starlight destination. The Starlight Foundation is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2009 to promote the protection of the night sky and the development of “astrotourism” and there is an ever growing list of starlight destinations in Spain to visit.

For more in depth information about this area please have a look at the Grazalema Guide. This is our Tourist Information Portal for the Sierra de Grazalema, The town of Ronda and the Caminito del Rey. You can find out everything you need for a visit to this area of Andalucia (Where we live) 🙂

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Grazalema – The emblematic white village of the Sierra

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Grazalema - The Sierra de Grazalema

Grazalema is a traditional white village (pueblo blanco) located in the north-eastern area of Cadiz province. It nestles amongst the beautiful mountains of the Sierra de Grazalema natural park and has a local population of around 2000 people inhabiting the village and surrounding countryside. Set in a protected area popular for nature and outdoor enthusiasts … Read more