Local Nature Reserves

Numerous mountain ranges crisscross Andalusia's territory, and many of these have been made protected area to preserve the wonderful natural environments they harbour. These include several Natural Parks: Sierra de las Nieves, to the east of Ronda in Cadiz Province, Montes de Malaga near Antequera in Malaga Province; Sierras de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas in the east of Jaén province; Sierra Norte, part of the Sierra Morena mountains in the north of Seville province; Sierras Subbéticas in the south of Cordoba province; and Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche (western end of Sierra Morena) in the north of Huelva province.

The biggest mountains in the Iberian Peninsula are found in Andalusia - the range is called the Sierra Nevada and is located just east of Granada. These imposing peaks and valleys have been made a national park - one of two such parks in Andalusia.

Other areas with lovely mountain landscapes are the Sierra de Grazalema (UNESCO Bisosphere Reserve) near the captivating town of Ronda and the fascinating karstic formations of Torqual de Antequera, near the town of Antequera, and the fertile valleys known as Las Alpujarras - the southern foothills of Sierra Nevada.

Andalusia has 1 other national park - Spain's largest, in fact - Doñana - also classified as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO

One final protected area, and well-worth visiting is the coastal Cabo de Gata Natural Park, in Almeria.