Reported Bird sightings in the area.
April/May
Griffon Vulture, Booted Eagle, Short toed eagle, Bonellis eagle, Golden Oriole, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green
woodpecker, Short Toed Treecreeper, Firecrest, Nuthatch, Crossbill (El Bosque), Nightingale, Long Tailed
Tit, Goldfinch, Wren, Serin, Jay, Cattle Egret, Spotted Flycatcher (Llanos del Campo), Blackbird, Robin,
Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail, Cirl Buntings, Linnet, Greenfinch, Goldfinch,
Sardinian Warbler, Orphean Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Iberain Warbler, Black Redstart, Stonechat,
Woodchat Strike, Great Grey Shrike, Crested Lark, Thekla Lark, Blackcap, Kestrel, Black Wheatear
(towards Zahara), Chough, House Martin, Crag Martin, Rock Bunting, Dipper, Little Owl, Scops Owl, Barn
Owl, Blue Rock Thrush, Bee Eater, Roller, Hen Harrier, Hoopoe, Red Legged Partridges, Jackdaw, Crossbill
(towards Ubrique), Black-Eared Wheatear, Corn Bunting, Swift, Alpine Swift, Spotless Starling, Kingfisher,
Rock Thrush (towards El Bosque), Rock Sparrow (Villaluenga), Mistle Thrush, Cuckoos- male and female
(Garganta Verde)
Zahara dam - Great Crested Grebe,
Whiskered Tern, Yellow Legged Gull, Egyptian Vulture, Mallards, Moorhens, Common Sandpiper
Protected Natural Environments in Cadíz Province :-
Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park
By Jo Williams
Designated a Unesco Biosphere
reserve in 1977, the Sierra de Grazalema was declared the first natural park in Andalucia in 1984 and is
one of Spain's most ecologically outstanding areas. The 51,695ha park is famous for its spectacularly
rugged limestone landscape of cliffs, gullies, caves and gorges. By far 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 colnies. 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 this area you need to obtain permits from the El Bosque information office.
(details from the information offices listed in our information section).
High rainfall and a limestone
landscape mean that the water courses and springs are plentiful. The principal rivers are the Guadalete,
Guadiaro, Tavizna and Ubrique.
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.
