Natural Park Sierra de Cardeña y Montoro

The mountain range Sierra de Cardeña and Montoro has been declared since 1989 natural park. The natural park is situated north east of the province of Cordoba, close to Jaen and has about  41.000 ha of gently rolling hills in the far northeastern corner of Cordoba province. Its slopes, rising from 400m to the highest peak, the 828m-high La Colmena, are dominated by Mediterranean woods and scrub land, interspersed with fields of cereal cultivation.

The park contains a rich array of wildlife, with 88 species of birds, 21 mammals, 15 reptiles and 10 amphibians recorded here. Birds of prey are a common sight and it is one of two of the world's last wildernesses inhabited by the elusive and highly endangered lynx, the other being the Doñana National Park. Along with the neighboring Sierra de Andújar Natural Park in Jaen province, it is one of the last refuges of the wolf in Andalucia.

The park has geological interest, with its mainly granite rocks and round blocks, up to 1m in diameter, which are called bolas.

Apart from the principal river, the Yeguas, the main rivers in the park are the Arenoso, Arenosillo, Frescoso, Frailes and Martín Gonzalo.

Montoro

This typical Andalusian town of a small 10.000 inhabitants, declared of National Historic and Artistic Interest, is dramatically perched on a hillside above the Guadalquivir River 45 km upriver from Cordoba. Now Montoro is known for its excellent olive oil and eco-tourism. Just north of the town is the Sierra de Cardeña-Montoro Natural Park.