SIERRA DE ARACENA Y PICOS DE AROCHE NATURAL PARK
Charm in every season
Discover the magic of the Sierra de Aracena all year round.
In the north of the province of Huelva, in the west of Sierra Morena, there isa park that arouses emotions, where the traditional way of life coexists in perfect harmony with the natural environment.
In a landscape dotted with a multitude of villages of whitewashed houses and red roofs, time seems to have stopped, to keep as a treasure ancient traditions and a culture forged with centuriesof coexistence with different civilizations; to preserve a unique ecosystem in the world, the dehesa, in which human beings and nature have been unified, achieving an alliance that has remained for generations.
Dream corners, trails, aromas and sensations await you among the ancient meadows and historic chestnut groves of the Natural Park Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche.
A multitude of trails, shaded by chestnut groves and majestic pastures of oaks, cork oaks and gall oaks, linking numerous beautiful white villages with a lot of history. Green landscapes all year round, hard to imagine in the south of the Iberian Peninsula.
Centuries of exquisite coexistence of the local population with the territory have made possible the development of traditional activities, which have given rise to a heritage as varied as it is valuable, presided over by a surprising and rich gastronomy, which presides over the region.The Iberian pig in its most artisan interpretation, together with mycological and botanical varieties of great natural and culinary interest, preside over the region's gastronomy.
Visiting the Natural Park Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche has a special charm at any time of the year. While autumn is the best known season, when the fall of the chestnut tree leaves shows surprising shades of ochre and brown, spring brings an explosion of colors that immerse the ecotourist in unique sensations provided by the numerous floral species.The spring brings an explosion of colors that submerge the ecotourist in unique sensations provided by the numerous floral, arboreal and shrub species that bathe these peaks and valleys.
Mycology reigns supreme in both seasons. The study and collection of its 500 types of mushrooms takes a special importance, both in the rural activity and in the gastronomy of this region.
Summer brings the freshness of a climate more typical of the north than the south. The western area of Sierra Morena, where this natural paradise is located, is beaten by the winds of the Atlantic Ocean, which provide the freshness and humidity necessary for this oasis of Mediterranean scrubland to grow and maintain itself.
The climatic conditions and the fertility of the soils have made possible the establishment of a sea of small orchards, which are distributed by multiple populations, enriching the landscape and the gastronomy of the southwest peninsular. Their products can be tasted in local restaurants.
In winter, the colors change to transform the mountain peaks into a landscape that invites you to explore and discover its forests. The chestnut trees, now devoid of leaves, offer a romantic and mysterious landscape. In the pasture, the Iberian pig reigns and its most deeply rooted gastronomic and cultural tradition.
This Natural Park shelters white villages with cobbled streets, where history is present through the cultural and ethnological heritage that its inhabitants have preserved as the valuable treasure it is. The whitewashed facades of the houses spill between wide meadows of oaks and cork oaks, organic olive groves and chestnut trees.
The great valleys are crossed by magical ravines, through which run the banks that bring the sound of singing water: the Chanza, the Múrtiga or the Ribera de Huelva. This water, the absolute protagonist of the mountain landscape, has sculpted the exterior and interior landscape of the Sierra de Aracena. In the limestone peaks it has achieved spectacular works, such asthe Gruta de las Maravillas, in Aracena, or the travertines of Alájar and Zufre.
The fauna and flora of this ecotourism destination are part of the great natural wealth of this enclave. The dehesa dominates the landscape, with holm oaks and cork oaks accompanied by gall oaks, strawberry trees, lavender, mastic trees and different species of rockrose. Holm oak and cork oak dominate a pasture forest that, where it closes, is accompanied by an undergrowth of strawberry trees, lavender, mastic, hawthorns and various species of rockrose and juniper.
In the central area, the melojo oak and chestnut close the view in one of the largest forest masses of the entire Iberian Peninsula.
The good condition of these mountains allows them to be the ideal habitat for an important community of birds of prey, including the black vulture. Here is the largest colony in Europe of this great representative of scavenger birds. Habitat companions are mammals such as wild boar, deer or genet.
This natural treasure that the traveler finds in this protected area allows the development of a very interesting and extensive range of ecotourism activities that can be developed with the service of professionals who have managed to combine the utmost respect and environmental care, with the enjoyment in this paradise.
To get to know this magical corner in the south, companies exquisitely respectful of sustainability and the environment have developed activities and accommodations where the friendly treatment of visitors is one of their many qualities.
From basic category rural houses, to four-star hotels or boutique establishments, the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche destination offers a wide range of accommodations, including different types of b&b houses, rural apartments, hostels and hotels of different categories,which adapt to the experience that the traveler prefers to live. In the countryside or in one of the 29 villages that make up this Natural Park, staying in this destination offers unforgettable sensations.
The gastronomy shows the character and history of the inhabitants of this territory. From the world of the Iberian pig and all that it makes possible in the mountain kitchens, to the flavors and smells provided by the wide variety of edible mushrooms that are raised in the soil of this area, through the delicacies offered by the orchards and local dairies, the menus of bars and restaurants do not leave any visitor unmoved.
And for tailor-made visits, receptive agencies, completely linked to the criteria of sustainability, offer customized packages that will surprise the most curious.