Welcome
Welcome to the Virtual Tour of the Santa Rita Visitor Centre, located in the Sierras Subbéticas Nature Reserve in the province of Cordoba. Here you can find out about the treasures of this protected space, as well as about the role of the Network of Protected Natural Areas of Andalusia (RENPA), and its importance in the conservation of the natural world of Andalusia.
At the centre you’ll find a reception area where visitors are welcomed, the gift shop where you have the opportunity to purchase products connected with the Reserve, a zone with information about the Network of Protected Natural Areas of Andalusia (RENPA), and a small area designed to keep the children entertained. The building also has a room for meetings, exhibitions and events, which is also where a video on the treasures of the Reserve is screened.
There’s a restaurant near the visitor centre, and the La Trufa Botanical Gardens are just a few kilometres away.
The centre is designed to enable the visitor to learn about the geology of the park, and the plants, fungi and animals that share it, as well as the rich historical and cultural heritage of the area.
The visit will serve as a starting point for the adventure of walking through some of the many attractive places within the Nature Reserve.
This land has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Some of its towns and villages coincide with former Roman settlements, and other came into being during the centuries of Moorish rule. Many traces of this rich past still remain.
By following these links you’ll be able to find more information about this Protected Natural Area, with downloadable material such as the range of trails, opening times, how to reach them, a map showing all the public facilities, etc.
Santa Rita Visitor Center:
lajunta.es/3p0o2
Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park:
lajunta.es/3sq8y
Round off your visit with ecotourism experiences hosted by local companies. Click on the following link to learn more: ecoturismoandaluz.com
For activities aimed at schools, associations for functionally diverse people and local residents, please click here: reservatuvisita.ecoturismoandaluz.com
The geology of the Nature Reserve
A UNESCO Global Geopark - much more than a Nature Reserve
UNESCO defines a Geopark as an area that must contain a certain number of sites of geological importance, or a series of geological features of particular scientific significance, that are rare or beautiful, and are representative of a region and its geological history.
The Sierras Subbéticas Nature Reserve was added to the Global and European Geoparks Network on 19 September 2006, in Belfast (United Kingdom). Covering an area of approximately 32,160 hectares, it’s one of the most representative areas of the geology of the Baetic System.
The geological aspects of this protected area are one of its main attractions, and these include the Cueva de los Murciélagos or Bat Cave, a real gem from both a natural and an archaeological point of view.
A testimony to the past
The Sierras Subbéticas Nature Reserve is recognised the world over as one of the most interesting areas for the study of ammonites, marine animals closely related to the squid, which inhabited the seas and oceans during the Mesozoic Era. They had a spiral shell, divided into gas-filled chambers that could regulate gas pressure, just like today's nautilus. Ammonites are one of the fossil groups that most accurately date the rocks in which they are found.
Limestone and water
Part of the landscape of the Nature Reserve (above all the northern part) consists of what is known as karst formation or relief. This phenomenon is due to the erosion limestone by water. When it rains, the water reacts with the carbon dioxide in the air, dissolving the calcium carbonate that limestone rock is made of.
In the bowels of the Earth
As water flows through the fissures in the limestone rock, it creates underground formations such as galleries, vertical caves and cavities. In these, the water carrying calcium bicarbonate creates stalagmites and stalactites. In the Nature Reserve, the Sima del Esparragal, in Sierra Alcaide, and the Sima de Cabra vertical caves stand out - the latter is notable for its great depth (116 metres).
The Cueva de los Murciélagos (Bat Cave) located near the village of Zuheros is characterised by striking columns formed by the precipitation of calcium carbonate.
A natural treasure
The Sierras Subbéticas Nature Reserve has a very diverse natural heritage, thanks to an incredibly varied mosaic of habitats and environments. This Protected Natural Area is the most interesting in the province from a botanical point of view, due to its high diversity of species that are unique in the world (classified as “in danger of extinction”) and the existence of 29 endemic species (species that are only found in specific areas). Of the latter, the margarita de rute is noteworthy.
There are various species of endangered animals in these mountain ranges, which within the province only live here. There are also some interesting types of wild mushrooms and truffles, their diversity favoured by a range of different environments.
The vegetation in the Reserve is typically Mediterranean, with groves of holm oak and Portuguese oak, distributed depending on aspect. These forests serve as a refuge for a very rich fauna that includes both birds and mammals. There are even a number of endemic species that live in the highest areas. The many crags are home to large birds of prey, such as the golden eagle and the griffon vulture.
Mediterranean forest. A refuge for living things
The Mediterranean forest that originally covered these mountain ranges is sparse, and is restricted to very specific locations. It almost disappeared due to the interventions of the different civilisations and cultures that settled here. Nevertheless, some areas of forest of great beauty and ecological interest still remain. Much of this forest has been cleared and transformed into grazing land.
The forest of holm oak is the most extensive, occupying both sunny slopes and the stony ground on the north-facing mountainsides, while Portuguese oak and maple are found in humid, shady environments. The Mediterranean forest is home to a rich community of animals that occupy all the “floors”, as in a building.
Pine forests. Artificial forests
The pine forests of the Nature Reserve are made up of Aleppo pines, and are located exclusively in the Sierra de Rute. They are the result of past reforestation programmes, and are home to a number of species of fungi, animals and plants that are very characteristic of this type of woodland.
Scrubland. A world of sensations
Within the Nature Reserve, there are large patches of scrubland consisting of shrubs adapted to the climate and to pastoral use. The scrubland is dominated by large bushes such as broom, hawthorn, mastic and juniper, and smaller ones like rosemary, thyme, rockrose and gorse. Among these, mountain broom, a spiny cushion-like shrub that has a restricted distribution, and is well-adapted to the high peaks stands out.
Grasslands. The domain of livestock
A huge variety of plants that serve as food for herbivores, both wild and domestic, grow in the grasslands. In these pastures and in clearings in the scrub, various species of bulbous plants, notably orchids, are found.
Up on the crags: surviving among the rocks
In the mountains of the Nature Reserve there are numerous cliffs and crags with some extremely interesting vegetation. At the foot of these crags, there are many unusual stony or rocky landscapes characterised by instability, as is the case with areas of scree.
The peregrine falcon and other birds of prey nest on the bluffs and rocky cliffs of the Nature Reserve.
Rivers and Streams The waters of life
On the banks of rivers and streams grow what are known as “gallery forests” made up of deciduous trees. In their absence, the banks are covered with bushes together with reeds and rushes. Various species of fern can also be spotted, including the cola de caballo (horsetail) variety, used in traditional medicine as a diuretic, as well as mint, wild celery and other plants of ethnological interest.
The banks of the streams within the Nature Reserve are home to a number of species of animals of great natural interest. The native crayfish is an endangered species, but there are still some specimens living in these rivers. The Mediterranean water shrew is also of great biogeographical importance, as the Reserve constitutes the southern edge of its global range.
The olive grove The forest of liquid gold
Much of the land formerly occupied by holm oak and wild olive, is today covered with olive trees. The olive is a crop that achieves a good balance between biodiversity and profitability. Some birds make their home in the olive trees. What’s more, the fruit serves as food for small migratory birds during the winter.
The olive groves are also home to a fungal community; some species are highly prized for culinary use, for example Morchela conica, although others such as Omphalotus olearius are toxic.
Human beings in the Nature Reserve
The landscape we find today in the Nature Reserve is a clear reflection of the different cultures and civilisations that have passed through these lands over the course of history. Each of them has left its mark, which is reflected in the architecture, gastronomy, festivals, handicrafts and different lifestyles.