Points of interest:

Los Alcornocales is a forest of Cork oak trees, the largest in Iberia and therefore important to the worlds cork supply.

The park, which also embraces mountains, creates a green corridor from the Sierra de Grazalema natural park through to the coastal zone at Tarifa.

The harvesting of cork is done on a 9 to 12 year cycle. The bark is stripped from the tree by hand, packed onto mules and taken to forest tracks where it can be loaded onto a vehicle. The cork collection is only carried out for 3 months in the heat of summer when it separates easily from the tree.

Therefore, the fauna and flora are left undisturbed between these harvest times, giving refuge to many birds and animals. Recent research has discovered a wealth of animal and plant forms that exist here because of the humidity. The heavy tree canopy and many deep water channels combine to create a subtropical micro climate in a normally dry part of Spain.

Flora:

Cork oaks (Quercus suber) dominate the landscape with smaller numbers of other oaks Algerian (Q. canariensis), Gall (Q. faginea), Pyrenean (Q. pyrenaica), Holm (Q. ilex) and Wild olive (Olea europaea subsp oleaster). The undergrowth and areas too exposed for the oaks include Tree heathers, Spanish lavender, Spurge flax, Mastic tree, Rockroses, Needle-leaved broom (Teline linifolia), Yellow-heart iris (Iris filifolia), Hawthorns, Spanish heather (Erica australis) and Umbel-flowered heather (E.umbellata).

In the steep sided river ravines grow Rhododendron (R. ponticum ssp. Baeticum), Alder buckthorn, Holly and Laurustinus.

The Portuguese sundew (Drosophyllum lusitanicum) can only be found in low-altitude sandstone regions of south west Iberia such as this.

There are over 40 species of fern in the area, they can be found tucked into damp rocks and draped from rough bark of the huge oaks. One is the rare fern psilotum nudum along with Hare’s foot fern (Davallia canariensis), Hard fern (Blechnum spicant) and two species from the Canary Islands, which are Pteris incompleta and Culcita macrocarpa.

Fauna:

Roe, Red and Fallow deer have been introduced as game for hunting as well as Spanish ibex on the higher terrain. Other mammals include Wild boar, Mongoose, Fox, Badger, Genet, and Dormouse. In the rivers are Terrapins and Otters.

Birdlife is varied with Kingfishers, Dippers and Sand martins near the water courses.

Among the raptors are Short-toed, Bonelli’s, Spanish imperial, and Booted eagles, Sparrow hawk, Goshawk, Peregrine, Kestrel, Tawny owl, Eagle owl and Common buzzard. Egyptian and Griffon vultures can be seen in more open areas. Smaller birds include Golden orioles, Hoopoes, Bonelli’s warbler, Long-tailed Tit, Bee-eater and Nightingale.

During spring and autumn migrating birds pass through or rest in the forest which is close to the Straits of Gibraltar.

Of the twenty two species of bats listed in Andalucia, twenty are recorded in the park.

The Andalucian funnel web spider also lives in this area. A fascinating creature. Click this link to learn more about it.

Also in the area:

Roman ruins of Baleo Claudia are at the coast in Bolonia.

Information/Visitors Centers:

“Huerta Grande” near Algeciras on the road to Tarifa at Km 96

“El Aljibe” in Alcalá de los Gazules, on the road to Benalup at Km 1

Cortes de la Frontera. A village bordering between Los Alcornocales and Sierra de Grazalema Natural Parks.