Cabañeros National Park

An ecosystem in perfect balance

Cabañeros is home to a great wealth of species thanks to the diversity of its ecosystems:

The rañas, large plains whose origin is the filling of geological material that occurred more than 3 million years ago. Here you can observe herds of deer and steppe birds such as the little bustard and the stone curlew and birds of prey such as the black or griffon vulture.

The mountain ranges of the national park, formed by imposing mountain massifs, reach their highest point in the Rocigalgo (1,449 m). They are covered with forests and scrubland and there are also bare rocky areas of vegetation. The most abundant forests are holm oaks, cork oaks, gall oaks and rebollares. The most abundant scrub is the jaral-brezal.

The rivers and streams favor the development of lush riparian forests and create essential habitats for species of great importance for fish such as the jarabugo or the calandino, amphibians such as the Iberian newt or reptiles such as the black-green lizard.

Flora and vegetation
Cabañeros has a varied and well-preserved vegetation, with large extensions of:
- Holm oaks and cork oaks, characteristic trees of the Mediterranean forest.
- Heaths and rockrose, with aromatic plants such as rosemary and lavender.
- Riverside forests, with willows, ashes, alders and birches that are located in humid enclaves.
- Species such as the carnivorous plant known as the flytrap(Drosera rotundifolia) grow in peat bogs and traps.

Emblematic fauna
Cabañeros National Park is home to some of the most endangered species on the peninsula, such as:
- The Iberian lynx, recently reintroduced to the area, which is beginning to recover its natural habitat in Cabañeros and its surroundings.
- The black vulture, with one of the largest breeding colonies in Europe.
- The Iberian imperial eagle, a symbol of conservation in Spain.
- Steppe birds, such as the Great Bustard, which find an ideal habitat in the crags.
- Reptiles such as the leprosy pond turtle or the ocellated lizard. Amphibians such as the San Antonio frog or the gallipato.
- Fish such as the jarabugo, an endangered species endemic to the Guadiana basin and found in the Estena, one of the best preserved Mediterranean rivers.

Geology: A 500-million-year history
The park has great geological value, with fossils more than 500 million years old in the Boquerón del Estena, where you can observe remains of trilobites, marine curls, giant marine worm, among others, hence the route is considered a Site of Geological Interest.

Technical data of the park:
- Surface area: 40,856 hectares
- Location: Provinces of Ciudad Real and Toledo
- Protection: National Park since 1995 and ZEPA (Special Protection Area for Birds), ZEC (Special Area of Conservation) and Fluvial Nature Reserve of the rivers Estena, Estena and Estomiza.