Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park
| Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park | |
|---|---|
| Parque Natural de las Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas | |
View from the Puerto de las Palomas into the Guadalquivir valley and the village of Arroyo Frío before the 2001 fire.
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| Location | Province of Jaén (Spain) |
| Coordinates | 38°05′00″N 2°45′00″W / 38.08333°N 2.75000°WCoordinates: 38°05′00″N 2°45′00″W / 38.08333°N 2.75000°W |
| Area | 2,099.2 square kilometres (810.5 sq mi) |
| Established | 1986 |
| http://www.acazorla.com | |
Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park (Spanish: Parque Natural de las Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas) is a natural park in the eastern and northeastern part of the province of Jaén, Spain, established in 1986. With an area of 2,099.2 square kilometres (810.5 sq mi), it is the largest protected area in Spain and the second largest in Europe. It was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1983 and also a Special Protection Area for migratory birds in 1988.
Protection of roughly 700 square kilometres (270 sq mi) in the southern part of the park dates back to 1960, when the National Hunting Reserve of las Sierras de Cazorla y Segura (Coto Nacional de Caza de las Sierras de Cazorla y Segura) was established. Given its large area, embracing 23 municipalities with more than 80,000 inhabitants, the level of protection varies from one part of the park to another, allowing a diversity of economic activity in the majority of the territory.
The beauty of the countryside and the rich flora and fauna combine with a rich cultural heritage to make the region an important destination for tourism.
The park includes two high ranges, the Sierra de Cazorla and the Sierra de Segura. These mountain ranges are part of the Prebaetic System, the northernmost portion of the Baetic Cordillera. Generally running southeast-to-northeast, they meet up with the Sierra Morena that runs from this region west to Portugal. Between the mountain ranges are important valleys, including the headwaters of the Guadalquivir, which—after initially heading some 50 kilometres (30 mi) northeast through the mountains—runs west to the Atlantic Ocean, but also of the Segura, which runs east to the Mediterranean.
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