Overview
The Sierra de Huétor is a popular park due to its close proximity of the provincial capital of Granada. It is a dramatic mountainous area that consists of steep cliffs, springs and caves and covers a total of 12,128ha. The porous limestone rocks have eroded away over thousands of years to leave many caves including the Cueva del Agua. The area is home to many endemic and rare plants and also the endangered wild cat.
Walking
Puerto de Lobo has a visitor’s centre which provides information on the park and its walks. Several of the walks are signposted.
Sightseeing
The enclaves near this Nature Reserve, such as Puerto de la Mora or the Arab baths of Cogollos Vega, as well as Cueva del Agua or Fuente Grande in Aldácar make a trip to this Nature Park even more attractive.
Geology
The mountain ranges of the Sierra de Huetor constitute a complex orography due to their limestone nature.
Animals/Birds
As with many of the mountain ranges in this area, the park is home to a large number of raptors. These include golden and booted eagles, buzzards, goshawks, sparrowhawks, eagle, little and tawny owls. Wild boar, badgers, genets, beech martins and weasels are some of the mammals found here. Ladder and Monpellier snakes as well a diverse number of lizards also inhabit the area. There is also an endemic species of butterfly - the blue lysandra bellargus ssp alfacariensis.
Plants
The predominant (and introduced) tree species are pine – Aleppo, Larico and Austrian. However, there are some areas of native woodland which contain holm, and gall oaks which are mainly found in the areas of Linollos, La Ermita, Las Mimbres and La Gallega. The area is rich in flowering plants, with over 800 recorded, many of which are endemic to the Iberian peninsula.
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