Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain)

Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevada National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Satellite image of Sierra Nevada. The chain of mountains is visible in the center; below this are clouds blown by winds from the southeast.
Location	Granada, Almería, Andalusia, Spain
Coordinates	37°12′0″N 3°15′0″W / 37.20000°N 3.25000°W / 37.20000; -3.25000Coordinates: 37°12′0″N 3°15′0″W / 37.20000°N 3.25000°W / 37.20000; -3.25000

The Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada (known as the Sierra Nevada National Park in English) is located in Granada and Almería provinces in south-eastern Spain. It was declared a national park on 14 January 1999. It stretches from the Alpujarra to El Marquesado and the Lecrin Valley, covering a total area of 85,883 hectares, making it the largest national park in Spain. It incorporates the municipalities of Abla, Abrucena, Alboloduy, Alsodux, Bayárcal, Beires, Canjáyar, Fiñana, Fondón, Laujar de Andarax, Nacimiento, Ohanes, Paterna del Río, Rágol, Las Tres Villas, Aldeire, Alpujarra de La Sierra, Bérchules, Bubión, Busquístar, Cáñar, Capileira, Dílar, Dólar, Dúrcal, Ferreira, Güéjar Sierra, Huéneja, Jerez del Marquesado, Juviles, Lanjarón, Lanteira, Lecrín, Lugros, Monachil, Nevada, Nigüelas, Pampaneira, Pórtugos, Soportújar, La Taha, Trevélez, Valor and La Zubia.

There are more than 20 peaks over 3,000 meters, with the highest being Mulhacén (3479 m), Veleta (3396 m) and Alcazaba (3371 m). The rivers that rise on the north face of the range feed the Guadalquivir basin, the most important ones being the Fardes and Genil. Meanwhile, the rivers that rise on the west and south faces run down into the Mediterranean. These include the Dúrcal, Ízbor, Trevélez and Poqueira, which are all tributaries of the Guadalfeo, which itself rises in the Sierra Nevada, and the Adra and Andarax, with their tributaries. The south and west faces are where you will find the majority of the almost 50 high-mountain lakes that exist in the Sierra Nevada, many of which are also the sources of streams and rivers. Much of the landscape, particularly above 2,400 metres (which was the perpetual snow line prior to the Holocene period) was shaped by the action of glaciers, resulting in characteristic U-shaped valleys.

Due to its isolated location in the far south of Europe, the flora and fauna of the Sierra Nevada are unique. During the last ice age, species moved south to escape the colder climate in the north, and as the climate grew warmer again, these species survived by taking refuge in the mountains. 2,100 plant species have been catalogued in the park, 116 of which are classified as threatened, and over 60 of which are unique to the area (endemic).