Located in the centre of Granada province, in a town called Quéntar, it extends, virtually from its source, through the upper basin of the Aguas Blancas river, to the dam at the Quéntar reservoir, between the mountain ranges of Sierra Nevada in the south, and the mountains of Huétor and Arana in the north. It includes this section of the river course and a strip of approximately 3 kilometres on both sides of it, making up a total area of about 2,994 hectares.

In the SAC, Aleppo and pinus pinaster pine forests predominate along with wide expanses of scrubland, esparto grass and thyme, thereby replacing the holm oaks and pine forests lost as a result of forest fires at the end of the last century. The holm oak grove has been greatly reduced to the vicinity of the river channels, sharing the space with other species of the Quercus genus, such as kermes oak and Portuguese oak. On the banks, ferns and hazelnuts along with willows, dogwoods, fig trees, ivy, and blackberries abound, clearly illustrating the richness of the area.

The fauna linked to the banks of, and Aguas Blancas river itself, is another clear example of the state of the waters. Here for example, brown trout, white-throated dippers, southern water voles, and endangered species such as the crayfish and the small Orculella bulgarica snail. The Betic midwife toad and the Spanish painted frog can also be found in the SAC. In terms of reptiles, Mediterranean turtle, Bedriaga's skink, spiny-footed lizard and the horseshoe whip snake can be found. With regards to birds, great birds of prey such as Bonelli´s eagle, the golden eagle and peregrine falcon stand out. Among the mammals, it is worth mentioning the wild goat, abundant in the area due to the proximity to Sierra de Huétor, the wild cat as well as the garden dormouse.