Sierra Norte natuurpark, Sevilla

Sierra Norte natuurpark, Seville

The Sierra Norte Nature Park, in the province of Seville, spans part of the Sierra Morena Mountain Range where the countryside predominantly consists of large pastures with oak trees. These trees shelter species threatened by extinction such as the rare black stork and the imperial eagle.

The Sierra Norte National Park has a area of 177,484 hectares and contains the towns of Alanís, Almadén de la Plata, Cazalla de la Sierra, Constantina, Guadalcanal, Las Navas de la Concepción, El Pedroso, La Puebla de los Infantes, El Real de la Jara and San Nicolás del Puerto. The geography is typical of mountains which have been subject to a long period of erosion. The Viar, Retorillo and Huesan Rivers, all tributaries of the Gualdalquivir, form a network of rivers providing water to the entire Park.

Of all the various rivers which cut through this mountain system, the Huesna River is the only trout river in the Province and the whole of the Sierra Morena, and has leafy woods all along its banks. The presence of mining sites suggest there have been inhabitants here since Prehistory. The Romans and Arabs also left remains in various towns in the region.

Flora and fauna of Sierra Norte de Sevilla

The plant life of the Sierra Norte is adapted to a Mediterranean climate with dry, hot summers and mild winters; the cork oak being one of the most characteristic species. Species which require more moisture, for example the gall-oak, can be found in the areas at higher altitude. On the banks of the rivers, especially El Huesna River, you can find spectacular woods. They contain species of great ecological worth such as the alder tree, ash, elm, the black popular, various species of willow, hackberry and hazelnut tree. There are three fishing sites in this river, where you can catch the Common Trout (Hueznar I and Hueznar II) or Rainbow Trout (Molino del Corcho).
You can also fish in the Park’s reservoirs, for example at Pintado en Cazalla. Due to the good state of the rivers you can find a large variety of fish species.

For more active types the Environmental Council has set up a series of trails in the National Park pointing out some of the most beautiful areas. Here you can also find viewpoints, recreational areas such as Molino de Corcho, Nacimineto del Huéznar and Isla Margarita and areas for camping like at El Marinete.

The National Park has two visitor centres. In Constantina there is the El Robleo Visitor Centre where the public can learn in more detail about the ecosystems existing in the Park. The exhibits include a Botanic Garden containing the typical plant life of the Sierra Morena Mountains.

In Almadén de la Plata you can find Cortijo El Berrocal Visitor’s Centre. Here there is a recreational area and you can take three educational trails with spectacular scenery.

You can also make the most of the outdoors through activities such as rock climbing in El Cerro del Hiero (San Nicholás del Puerto), water sports in El Pintado (Cazalla), caving, pony trekking, hiking and photographic tours.

As for the fauna, deer are the most common large herbivorous mammals in this area. Deer and wild boar are frequently hunted in the Park. As for carnivorous mammals, there still exist some lynxes, though their numbers are greatly reduced. Other more abundant, but equally elusive, species are the fox, the polecat, the badger, the mongoose, the mountain cat and the otter.
However birds are the most abundant group of vertebrates in the Park. You can find species as interesting as the imperial eagle, the black vulture, the dipper or the black stork.

Two sites of great scenic and geographic interest are the Huesna River Waterfalls and El Cerro del Hierro, both of which have been declared natural heritage sites. The peculiar rock formations of the ‘karst’ landscape (caused by the partial dissolution of the limestone over time) at El Cerro de Hierro have been a site of iron mining since Roman Times. Plus at the waterfalls there are also impressive rock formations and magnificent woods.

The Sierra Norte Park is also rich in archaeological sites. Here numerous dolmens (megalithic tombs) have been found, as well as a Roman necropolis. There are also caves with prehistoric remains like the Santiago Caves in Cazalla de la Sierra, a complex cave system where various species of bat live; or the Los Covachos Cave in Almadén de la Plata and the La Sima Cave in Constantina.

Game hunting greatly influences the region’s cooking. Here you can try dishes containing partridge, rabbit, venison and wild boar, as well as ‘migas’ (fried breadcrumbs) and hams and sausages made from Iberian pork. In La Puebla de los Infantes they bake ‘tortas de aceite’ (olive oil tarts), pestiños (aniseed twists) and sponge cakes according to traditional recipes.