Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park
The Sierra de Cazorla, located in the east of the province of Jaén, gives its name to the Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park. Its 214,300 hectares make it the largest protected area in Spain.
It was declared as Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO, forming a huge natural territory that stretches to the nearby Natural Parks of Sierra de Castril (Granada) and Calares del Río Mundo y de la Sima (Albacete).
The sierra de Cazorla is formed by a rough sequence of mid-altitude sierras that have their highest heights in the 2,107 meters of the hill of Las Empanadas or the peaks Cabañas and Yelmo, of 2,026 and 1,809 meters respectively.
The sierra de Cazorla has a rugged terrain with great drops, deep valleys, high walls and lush forests. Rivers such as Guadalquivir, Segura, Madera, Tus and Borosa begin to flow within this area.
Vegetation and fauna
The limestone rock that makes up most of the Sierra de Cazorla has undergone long erosive processes that have resulted in several examples of karstic landforms such as the Cerrada de Elías, the Toba, the waterfalls of Los Órganos and Chorro Gil or the cave of Las Maravillas. These minor sierras also house numerous forms of architectural and popular heritage.
Most of the protected area is dominated by holm oak, oak tree, maple tree and pine forests. By the side of the river, ashes, willows and black poplars. It is also important to mention the presence of several endemic species such as the Viola cazorlensis (Violeta de Cazorla).
The fauna of the park is the usual one in these latitudes. Large predators such as golden eagles, peregrine falcons or griffon vultures flight around. On the other hand, Iberian ibexes, foxes, wild boars, deers, roe deers, bucks or European mouflons roam freely through the forest.
Hiking and how to get there
Among the wide range of paths and marked itineraries that cover the Sierra de Cazorla, the most famous might be the one of the GR-247 “Bosques del Sur” (forest of the south), with an amount of 478 kilometres distributed into 21 stages. In general, the Sierra de Cazorla has suitable terrain for all kinds of mountain activities, hiking and even water sports (in the reservoir and some river courses).
The Sierra de Cazorla is located on a land that includes 24 municipalities. Some of these places have a great historical and architectural heritage such as Cazorla or Segura de la Sierra. The road N-322 between Úbeda and Albacete runs close, leaving several detours to the protected terrain.
Find out next some recommendations on where to sleep around Sierra de Cazorla, Segura and Úbeda.
Recommendations on where to eat and where to sleep around
In Benatae
Mesón Peñalta restaurant
In Cazorla
Mesón Leandro restaurant
Mesón Don Chema restaurant
La Sarga restaurant
La Yedra restaurant
In La Puerta de Segura
Venta San José restaurant
Casa Paco restaurant
In Orcera
La Montería restaurant
Antonio restaurant
In Quesada
Asador Casa Luciano restaurant
El Curioso restaurant
In Santiago – Pontones
Mesón Escobar restaurant
San Fernando restaurant
Los Monteros restaurant
Mesón El Cortijo restaurant
In Segura de la Sierra
La Tiná restaurant
Mirador de Peñalta restaurant
La Mesa Segureña restaurant
El Mirador de Messía de Leiva restaurant
In Siles
Siles restaurant
Mesón La Serradora restaurant
In Torres de Albánchez
Mesón El Picardo restaurant
Zahara de los Olivos restaurant
In Benatae
El Serbal holiday cottages
In Cazorla
Cazorla tourist hotel
Ciudad de Cazorla hotel
Puerta de Cazorla hotel
Coto del Valle hotel
Puente de las Herrerías camping
San Isicio camping
In Coto-Ríos
La Chopera camping
Fuente de la Pascuala camping
Llanos de Arance camping
In Hinojares
Casería Fuentes hotel
Casas Cueva Cazorla holiday cottages
Tío Jose María holiday cottage
In Hornos de Segura
Montillana camping
In La Puerta de Segura
Los Yegüerizos holiday cottage
In Orcera
La Montería hotel
Cortillo la Julia holiday cottage
In Pozo Alcón
La Bolera camping
In Quesada
Sierra de Quesada hotel
Rural & Personal holiday cottages
In Santiago – Pontones
Río Zumeta inn
Mirasierra hotel
Refugio del Segura rural apartments
El Nacimiento holiday cottage
Las Cobachas holiday cottage
In Segura de la Sierra
Río Madera hotel
Morciguillinas hotel
Cortijo de Ramón holiday cottage
Los Huertos de Segura holiday cottage
Garrote Gordo camping
El Robledo camping
In Siles
Cruz hotel
Molino de Arriba hotel
Cortijo La Ajedrea holiday cottage
Fuente de la Canalica camping
Río Los Molinos camping
In Torres de Albánchez
Zahara de los Olivos hotel
Fuente de la Mujer holiday cottages
La Piedra holiday cottage
Cazorlaventur active tourism (Arroyo frío)
Olivair Flying paragliding (Beas de Segura)
Turisnat active tourism (Cazorla)
Extreme Nature active tourism (Cazorla)
Aventura Cazorla active tourism (Cazorla e Iruela)
El Contadero Aventuras active tourism (Cortijos Nuevos)
El Yelmo paragliding (La Puerta de Segura)
Aventura Sport active tourism (Quesada)
Cazorla Activa active tourism (Quesada)
Guadalkayak active tourism (Villanueva del Arzobispo)
Cazorla information point. C/ Martínez Falero, 11. Cazorla. Spain. Phone: +34 670 943 880. GPS coordinates 37º 54′ 58.02″ N – 3º 0′ 12.55″ W.
Cerrada del Utrero information point. Ctra. del Valle – Puente de las Herrerías, km. 7. Vadillo Castril. Spain. Phone: +34 953 124 235. GPS coordinates 37º 55′ 24.86″ N – 2º 55′ 36.17″ W.
Torre del Vinagre visitor center. Ctra. A-319, km. 48,5. Santiago-Pontones. Spain. Phone: +34 953 721 351. GPS coordinates 38º 0′ 49.11″ N – 2º 52′ 22.59″ W.