Adapted visit to the Huerta del Rey Visitor Center.
Sierra de Hornachuelos Natural Park

Welcome to the Huerta del Rey visitor centre, located in the Sierra de Andújar Natural Park, in the province of Cordoba. Here, you will be able to discover the assets of this Natural Park within the framework of the Network of Protected Natural Areas of Andalusia (RENPA).

In this centre, the visitor can find a central space where the reception and the Natural Space shop converge, where they will be attended to and where they will have the chance to buy a product or two related to the environment, and also an area with information about the Network of Protected Natural Areas of Andalusia (RENPA). The building also has a meeting, exhibition and events room, where an audiovisual on the merits of the Natural Space is also screened.

In these links you can find more information about this Protected Natural Area with downloadable material such as trails, opening hours, how to get there, map with all the facilities for public use, etc.

Huerta del Rey Visitor Center: lajunta.es/3p0xx

Sierra de Hornachuelos Natural Park: lajunta.es/3sq8n

Complete your visit with ecotourism experiences with local companies. You can check the offer in the following link: ecoturismoandaluz.com

For activities aimed at the educational community, associations of people with functional diversity and local population, you can access through the link: reservatuvisita.ecoturismoandaluz.com

The Sierra de Hornachuelos Natural Park is located in the western part of the Sierra Morena in the province of Cordoba, and lies between the valley of the Guadalquivir to the south and the carboniferous mountains of the Guadiato valley to the north. The sweeping areas of Mediterranean forest where you’ll find holm and cork oaks make for a privileged natural setting. Here it’s still possible to admire mountain landscapes that are much the same as those our ancestors would have looked out on.

Human beings have helped to shape these spaces. Stands of holm and cork oak have been converted into grassland in some areas, and elsewhere have been replaced by rock rose and scrub. Furthermore, these spaces are home to a multitude of animals.

The Natural Park is crossed by several tributaries of the river Guadalquivir. These rivers have also had a hand in shaping this landscape, giving rise to steep inaccessible slopes where large birds build their nests. White poplar, alder and ash grow on the gentler slopes by the rivers.

This variety of different environments make this Natural Park a privileged spot for nature lovers.

The Spanish imperial eagle

With a wingspan of almost 2 metres, this is one of the typical predators of the Mediterranean forest. Although this is a bird that can hunt everything from insects to young wild boar, its preferred prey is the rabbit. And for this reason diseases that have affected rabbits, particularly myxomatosis and haemorrhagic disease, have also had an impact on these eagles. As this is a highly specialised species that is found only on the Iberian Peninsula, it is under serious threat of extinction, which means that species recovery programmes are the key to guaranteeing its conservation for the future.

The black stork

This is a bird that is very similar to the white stork in size and appearance, but it has black plumage with white underparts, and both its beak and legs are a bright red. It’s found in well-preserved Mediterranean forest, on rocky outcrops and riverbanks, and around reservoirs. An elusive bird, the black stork needs peace and quiet to breed, and stays well away from other pairs. They build their nests on rocky outcrops or on very tall trees, and have a preference for cork oaks and pines. Their favourite food is small vertebrates.

Deer

A species with a broad distribution that stretches from Western Europe to Central Asia. The Iberian subspecies is greyer in colour, smaller in size, and has a smaller head.

The rutting season is one of the greatest natural spectacles in this Natural Park. Between September and October deep roars echo throughout the Sierra. The males fight it out for the females: the winner will keep his territory, and sufficient food for the females.

The deer shed their antlers every year, at the end of March. To help the process along, they rub their antlers against the trees. Recovery begins immediately, reaching its peak in July. Over a period of months, the antlers are once again covered in a furry skin called velvet, which disappears just before the rutting season begins.

The otter

Otters are the most popular and easily recognised members of the mustelid family. This is a species linked to aquatic or semi-aquatic environments, and they can be a good indicator of optimum water quality. They start to become active at dusk, and spend most of the night going about their business.

Their bodies are well adapted to diving and hunting fish, and they have large tails that are wide at the base and narrower towards the end. They have short, robust legs and webbed feet.

Although their diet is primarily based on fish, they also take advantage of river crabs, hatchlings, water rats etc. that are easily caught, as well as birds’ eggs.

The cork oak

A tree that’s similar to the holm oak. The main difference is that this one has a very thick, light, spongy bark, called cork. It’s a medium size evergreen tree that grows no more than 20 m tall. The shiny dark green leaves have a whitish underside, are quite long, and are weakly lobed. It produces bitter acorns, which mature from September and February.

The cork oak is primarily used for cork, which is used in a multitude of different ways: stoppers for bottles, thermal and acoustic insulation, fishing gear, in the shoe industry, etc.

The gum rock rose

This is a bush that can grow to a height of almost 3 m. The bark and the young leaves are covered in a very fragrant sticky substance called labdanum, which has traditionally been used as a sedative and in the making of cosmetics and perfumes. Its distribution area coincides with that of the holm oak, colonising the spaces left when forests are cleared or burnt. The trees prefer dry, sunny spots, and flower from April to June.

This immense forest is home to some emblematic animals

In those places where the woodland has disappeared because of various misfortunes, rock roses, heathers and gorse have made their presence felt. These species fill the mountain spring with colour, turning the open spaces into a permanent home for small birds and the tiny creatures they feed on.

The fact that these Mediterranean mountains have been so well preserved has made possible the survival of a whole community of vertebrates with high predator density, one of the highest in the province of Cordoba.

A whole host of reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and small birds share this space with large birds such as the cinereous vulture, the black stork and the Spanish imperial eagle, and mammals such as deer, genets and wild boar.

The Bonelli’s eagle

This eagle is without a doubt one of the most beautiful of the birds of prey that graces the skies over the Sierra de Hornachuelos. Of medium size, they prefer mountainous areas with growing trees or low brush. They take advantage of rocky cliffs, building their nests in caves or on sheltered ledges protected from the elements. Mating and nest building begin at the end of January. The chicks remain in the nest until the end of June, and are fed by both parents.

They mainly live on a diet of magpies, crows, pigeons, partridge and small or medium-sized birds of prey. Like other eagles, they also scavenge at times. It’s one of the most irascible and aggressive birds of prey, even attacking vultures on occasion.

The Spanish imperial eagle

This species is found almost exclusively on the Iberian Peninsula. A lover of Mediterranean forest, the Spanish imperial eagle nests at the tops of large holm and cork oaks, or sometimes on pine trees. They are faithful to their territory, where they have several nests that they use throughout their lives.

At the beginning of the year, they begin their flamboyant courtship, and breeding pairs are already well established by early March. It’s during the mating season that they are most vulnerable to the presence of human beings. If disturbed, they may even abandon their clutch of eggs and build another nest in a quieter spot. These birds don’t acquire their adult plumage until they are 6 years old. and are ready to reproduce.

Their diet primarily consists of rabbits, hares and some large birds, but in times when food is scarce they may turn to scavenging. At times they go out hunting in pairs; while one flushes out the prey, the other goes in for the kill.

The species is in great danger of extinction exclusively due to human activities: illegal hunting, electrocution, the clearing of forest so that land can be used for agricultural purposes, the abuse of insecticides and poisons, etc.

The golden eagle

This is the largest of the Iberian eagles. A lover of rocky outcrops, when these are not available it will nest in trees, which is what happens in the Sierra de Hornachuelos. A pair of eagles will always stay in a large territory where they will have various nests, some very old, which they use in turn.

They begin their nuptial displays in the month of January. At this time of the year the male and female fly together, simulating attacks and locking their talons. Later, they prepare one of the three or four nests they’ve built in their breeding area. Only the strongest of the young survive, reaching sexual maturity at five or six years of age.

Among their favourite prey are pigeons, members of the crow family, rabbits and hares, although they are also able to catch lots of other small and medium sized animals such as foxes. Despite being excellent hunters, they sometimes scavenge for food.

The griffon vulture

These birds are expert gliders that rapidly gain altitude with the tiniest of wing movements. They form colonies on cliffs and rock faces. Towards dawn, they usually perch on the ledges of the cliffs waiting for the air to warm up and the thermals they use for gliding to form. In this way they can fly all day long while burning very little energy.

They feed on carrion in both the early and later stages of decomposition, and the sight of a big group of them collecting around a carcass is a spectacular one. A highly social species of vulture, they roost in large colonies, the biggest being in Mediterranean Spain, and near stabled livestock.

The breeding season begins in December and ends in April. Eggs are laid towards the end of January. A single egg is incubated for around 52 days, a task that is shared by both parents, who take turns every 24 or 48 hours. The young leave the nest in July or August.

Found in most of the Iberian Peninsula, populations have increased considerably in recent decades. Today, poison and the lack of carrion in our fields are the main threats.

The cinereous vulture

This is the largest of the Iberian birds of prey. It lives exclusively in dense forests of holm and cork oak, Nesting in the trees, and occasionally on the ground, when it comes to feeding, these vultures prefer areas of brush and more or less open grassland.

They always nest in colonies, and tend to go out to feed alone or with other species, especially griffon vultures. In terms of feeding their preference is for small and medium size carcasses, although in times of need they’re happy to turn to reptiles or small birds.

Although populations have recovered in recent times, this is still a species vulnerable to forestry work, and especially to poisoning. The population of cinereous vultures in the Sierra de Hornachuelos is one of the most important in Andalusia.

Bees are social insects. They live in colonies that can be home to up to 40,000 individuals, and share both food and work in a very organised way.

Honeybees have been exploited by humans for almost 9,000 years. As well as honey, pollen, wax and royal jelly, did you know that a powerful natural antibiotic is also obtained from bees? They use it to keep their hives free from bacteria and fungi, rather as we would use bleach. It’s called propolis. Even the venom from their sting is used for medicinal purposes.

However, bees are most important for their role as pollinators: it’s estimated that on the Iberian Peninsula they are responsible for the fertilisation of 80% of all wild flowers.

Beekeeping for honey production has been practised in the Sierra de Hornachuelos for centuries. Traditionally hives were made of cork, but nowadays there are portable hives, made of wood and metal, which can be moved to wherever there is an abundance of flowers that favour the production of honey.

The honeys produced in the Natural Park are of excellent quality. There are many varieties, and wildflower, rosemary, lavender and orange blossom stand out. Some of them carry the Marca Parque Natural de Andalucía label.

The cork wears a fireproof ‘suit’

The cork oak is an unusual tree that produces a fascinatingly unique substance: cork, a natural material with properties that no synthetic material possesses. It can be used in so many different ways, and has been extracted from the trees in the Sierra de Hornachuelos for many years.

Although what immediately springs to mind is its use as a stopper in bottles, it is also used in the manufacture of shoes, fabrics, bags, beehives, acoustic insulation panels, flooring and more.

Cork is the outer bark of the cork oak, and is produced by a substance called phellem. It can grow to a maximum thickness of 25 cm on some old trees where it has not been harvested. The purpose of this layer of bark is to protect the tree from environmental hazards, especially fire.