Attractions & Activities - National Parks - Alcornocales National Park
Alcornocales national park
It is located between Tarifa, in the south and the Sierra de Grazalema National Park, in the north. It has 167,767ha.It is the largest kept cork tree grove in the Iberian Peninsula and one of the most important ones in the world It is the best example of what the densely wooded Iberian forests may have been like.
Flora
The region is characterised by a great variety of endemic vegetation. The most common tree is the eponymous cork oak (quercus suber). Other native trees are holm oaks (quercus ilex), Portuguese oaks (quercus faginea) and wild olive trees (olea europaea), while on the poorer soils is Mediterranean scrubland, made up of Kermes oak (quercus coccifera), rock roses (cistus ladanifer, c.monospeliensis), tree heather (erica arborea), lentisc (pistacia lentiscus), dwarf fan palm (chamaerops humilis), broom (calitome villosa), bracken (pteridium aquilinum) and holly (ilex aquifolium). A variety of ferns are found along the banks of the rivers, holly trees, rhododendrons, alder buckthorn (rhamnus frangula), laurestinus (vibernum tinus) and white poplars (populus albar). The south of the region is crossed by humid and narrow valleys, which have been eroded by rivers and provide the ideal habitat for subtropical forests. There are over 40 species of fern in the area; one botanical jewel here is the rare fern psilotum nudum.
Fauna
The park has a rich variety of birds of prey, with 18 species recorded here including booted eagles, short-toed eagles, Bonelli's eagles, peregrines, kestrels, common buzzards, eagle owls, sparrowhawks and goshawks. On the rockier peaks are colonies of Egyptian vultures. Along the water courses are kingfishers, sand martins and dippers. In the cork forests are hoopoes, crested tits, golden orioles and Bonelli's warblers. As it is located close to the Strait of Gibraltar, the cork forests are often full of migrant birds of prey in spring and autumn. Mammals here are Egyptian mongoose, foxes, badgers, genets, and dormice. In the rivers are otters and terrapins while wild boar, fallow deer and roe deer can also be seen. Hunting is a popular activity and around Cortes de la Frontera is a national hunting reserve. The biggest farm estate in Europe is Finca La Almoraima, covering 16,000ha near Castellar de la Frontera and one of Spain's most exclusive hunting reserves. Also introduced into the park are Spanish ibex. The park is home to an impressive variety of bats: 20 species of bat inhabit the caves of the park, of a total 22 species recorded in the whole of Andalucia.
Information
There are two visitors' centres: Huerta Grande is south of Algeciras at Km 96 on the N340 coast road. El Aljibe is in Alcalá de los Gazules, on the road to Benalup at Km 1. For both centres, call 956 679 161.
Access
The area is easily accessible via road, the main road crossing the northern section being the A375 between Ubrique in the northeast and Alcalá de los Gazules in the west. Between Algar in the north and Jimena de la Frontera in the east is the C3331, whilst the A381 crosses the southern section from Alcalá de los Gazules to Algeciras. There are also many minor roads and forest tracks crisscrossing the park. See our section on walks, for exploring the park on foot. Cities and villages nearby are Alcalá de los Gazules, Benalup, Castellar de la Frontera, El Bosque, Facinas, Jimena de la Frontera, Los Barrios, Tarifa and Ubrique.
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