Pinadilla
The place
Shelter at 1770 m in the Sierra de Cazorla, at the heart of the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park (province of Jaén, Andalusia, Spain) — one of the largest natural parks in Spain (210,000 hectares) and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1983. Notable position on the high limestone plateaus of the Sierra de Cazorla, an emblematic sector for its Mediterranean pine forests of Salzmann pine and Corsican pine, its limestone gorges, and its forest heritage. The place name "Pinadilla" refers to the pine-forest area ("pinar" = pine forest in Spanish) — the park's ancient pine forests are among the most extensive in Spain. Exceptional Mediterranean-alpine setting: centuries-old pine forests, limestone cliffs, source of the Guadalquivir (Andalusia's largest river) nearby. Emblematic wildlife: red deer (a large population), mouflon, Iberian ibex, Iberian lynx (a critically endangered endemic species, sporadic presence), griffon vulture, golden eagle, bearded vulture (reintroduced). Located at the heart of the Spanish hunting paradise — a sector renowned for hunting.
Getting there
Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas (Jaén, Andalusia). Trails of the natural park, source of the Guadalquivir nearby.
The setting
Sierra de Cazorla (UNESCO MaB 1983), Salzmann/Corsican pine forests, source of the Guadalquivir.
