Natural Park Sierra de las Nieves

In the heart of the natural region of Serranía de Ronda, visitors can find the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park, which contains the towns of El Burgo, Monda, Tolox, Parauta, Yunquera and Ronda. Declared a protected natural space in 1989 and a Unesco Biosphere Reserve in 1995, the park covers 20,163 hectares. This natural park boasts over 3,000 hectares of Spanish fir, a species at risk of extinction which can be found in large numbers in this park.

The Pinsapo de la Escalereta (Escalereta Spanish fir), which has protected natural space status, is the oldest specimen in the Sierra de las Nieves. Estimated to be over 500 years old, the tree measures 26 metres tall, with a trunk that reaches 5.10 metres circumference and a crown projection in excess of 200 square metres. The terrain of the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park is mountainous, with features including gorges such as the one at La Caína There are also several other geological features such as potholes, which are not common in Andalusia.

The park"s flora includes a Spanish fir forest. In terms of animal life, important species include the Spanish ibex (the population in this park is one of Andalusia"s largest) and the roe deer, the other main mammal species in the area. The wealth of animal species led to the park being declared a National Game Reserve in 1972, in order to conserve these animals. The municipality of Tolox is home to a Protected Species Recovery Centre, where injured animals are cared for prior to release into their natural habitat.

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