The vast cork-oak forest

Between the Grazalema mountains and the Punta de Tarifa promontory, there are a series of mid-height mountain ranges (with heights of between just a few metres above sea level in the area near Tarifa and 1,091 metres on the Aljibe peak) which are home to what is known as the "cork oak kingdom". This site represents the most important formation of this species on the Iberian Peninsula.

Although the relief of the terrain is not exceptionally steep, in the southern part there are narrow river valleys known as “canutos”, or “tubes”, which are absolutely unique in Europe, the site of remnants of the relictual vegetation of the Tertiary period. Not only the cork oak, but various other species such as the Andalusian gall oak form valuable woods, which also contain species such as rhododendron, wild olive, ash, carob and windmill palm trees. At heights of between 300 and 900 metres we find we are entering the “kingdom of the cork oak”, the most important formations of this species on the Iberian Peninsula, and which features a combination of tree heath, rock rose, heather, broom, Spanish broom, buckthorn, etc. These woods comprise one of the best and most extensive examples of the primitive Mediterranean forest. It is also home to a very varied fauna (as many as 250 species of vertebrates can be found here), including numerous mammals (mongoose, roe deer, genet, otter, wildcats, red deer, wild boar, etc) and birds of prey (the booted eagle, short-toed eagle, Bonelli’s eagle, Egyptian vulture, eagle owls), and including particularly an important colony of griffon vultures.