Sierra de Cazorla

The Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas natural park covers about 2,100 square kilometres, which makes it the largest protected area in Spain and one of the largest in Europe, a limestone massif rising to just over two thousand metres and cut by deep gorges. The Guadalquivir rises here at Canada de las Fuentes and runs north before turning west toward Cordoba and Seville. The forests are mainly Aleppo and black pine, with a rich endemic flora including the Cazorla violet, and the wildlife includes red and fallow deer, ibex, mouflon, wild boar and one of Spain's better lammergeier reintroduction programmes. The Cerrada de Elias and the Borosa river walk are the best-known routes.

What you actually see

• The Borosa river walk - a gorge route with boardwalks and tunnels.
• The Guadalquivir source - the river's origin at Canada de las Fuentes.
• The deer and ibex - large populations, most visible at dawn and dusk.
• The pine forests - extensive Aleppo and black pine across the range.

When to go

April to June for flowers and water in the rivers, September to November for the deer rut and autumn colour; summer is hot and crowded with Spanish holidaymakers. Some areas close for fire risk in high summer.

Honest expectations

The park is very large and roads through it are slow and winding. Popular trailheads such as the Borosa fill their car parks early in season, and access can be restricted. Accommodation concentrates in Cazorla and a few villages and books out in August.

Nearby

Cazorla town sits at the western edge; Ubeda and Baeza lie west across the olive plain.