Province
and Villages - Malaga - Alameda
Sierra de Grazalema
In 1977 it was designated a Unesco Biosphere reserve. The
Sierra de Grazalema was declared the first national park in
Andalucia in 1984 and is one of Spain's most ecologically
outstanding areas. The park covers 51,695ha and is famous
for its spectacularly rugged limestone landscape of cliffs,
gullies, caves and gorges. The most impressive gorge is Garganta
Verde, with its exceptional griffon vulture colony and rocky
walls that tower vertically for 400m. Andalucia's largest
cave system is also here, the Hundidero-Gato with its biggest
cavern measuring 4km long and an entrance of 60m tall.
The region is well known for being the rainiest place in Spain,
with an annual rainfall of 2,200mm, which means that the 1,300
Mediterranean plant species that have been registered here,
many of them endemic and some of them unique to the Sierra,
flourish. There is a magnificent and well preserved forest
of the rare Spanish fir, a relic from the Tertiary period,
in the Sierra del Pinar on the slopes of Cadiz province's
highest peak at 1,654m, El Torreón.
Dotted around the sierra are attractive whitewashed villages,
the one in the most dramatic setting being Grazalema, nestling
between two rugged peaks, the Pico del Reloj and the Pico
de San Cristóbal.
Around 3,000ha of the park is called an Área de Reserve,
with the most fragile ecosystems, Spanish fir forests and
black vulture colonies. Conservation measures are more strict
than the rest of the park and visits are controlled in terms
of dates and numbers. At times when fire risks are greater
(July to September) walks to this area are closed. For walks
in the rest of the park, except for Sendero Garganta Verde,
you must go with an authorized Turismo Activo company (details
from the information offices listed in our information section).
For the rest of the year, you need to obtain permits from
the El Bosque information office.
The principal rivers are the Guadalete, Guadiaro, Tavizna
and Ubrique.
Fauna
The park is most noteworthy for its exceptionally rich birdlife,
particularly raptors. One of Europe's largest colonies of
griffon vultures is in the Garganta Verde, in the Sierra del
Pinar, and along the Bocaleones river near Zahara. Other birds
of prey are booted eagles, golden eagles, Egyptian vultures,
Bonelli's eagles, rock buntings, red-billed choughs, rock
thrushes and black wheateaters.
The park has a sizeable bat population that inhabits the region's
numerous caves; hibernating in the Hundidero-Gato caves in
winter are thousands of Schreiber's bats.
Mammals in the park are Egyptian mongeese, badgers, foxes,
genets, roe deer and, on the higher ground, Spanish ibex.
The rivers are home to otters and water voles.
Flora
The valley sides are densely wooded with cork oaks, holm oaks,
wild olive trees and pine forest, with an undergrowth of Mediterranean
shrubs such as lentisc, strawberry trees and dwarf fan palms.
Along the rivers like the Río El Bosque and streams
are poplars, willows, alders, elms and oleanders. On rockier
slopes are stonecrops and saxifrages.
Information
There is a Centro de Visitantes (visitors' centre) in Cortes
de la Frontera (952 154 599), with information on geology,
flora and fauna of the park.
In El Bosque is the main park office (956 727 029), which
has maps, walking routes and issues permisos (permits) for
walks. The tourist offices in Cadiz (956 258 646) and Malaga
(952 213 445) can also provide information.
In Grazalema is an information office (956 132 225) that has
walking maps and can obtain walking permits from El Bosque
office for you.
Access
The park is easily accessible by car or on foot. The main
roads crossing the Sierra are the A372 Ronda to El Bosque
road and the A374 Grazalema to Ubrique road. The A373 links
Ubrique with El Bosque on the western edge of the park. South
of Zahara to Grazalema is the winding CA531, while the MA501
links Cortes de la Frontera to Benaoján.
Villages nearby are Benamahoma, Benaoján, Cortes de
la Frontera, El Bosque, Grazalema, Montejaque, Ubrique, Villaluenga
dl Rosario y Zahara de la Sierra.
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