Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park
With a total surface area of 209,920 hectares and covering almost a fifth of Jaén province, this is Spain’s largest protected area and one of its most extensive forested zones. Located in eastern Jaén province, it connects the Sierra Morena and the Subbética mountain ranges. The highest peak in this immense park is Pico Empanada at 2,107m and the entire park is higher than 600m. Recognizing its exceptional ecological importance, it was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1983 and created a natural park in 1989. Barren rocky crests and vast pine forests will strike visitors’ first impressions, but the area’s botanical importance within Andalusia is matched only by the Sierra Nevada, with a fifth of the vascular plants in the Iberian Peninsula found in the Sierra de Cazorla Natural Park.