Cazorla

The Sierra of Cazorla (Parque Natural Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas) is not necessarily the best-known tourist destination in Andalusia but it is the largest protected natural area in Spain and Europe. Recognized as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, this park of nearly 200,000 hectares is a real jewel in terms of biodiversity! Located in the northwest of the region of Jaen, the park also marks the border with the region of Castilla y León. It took us a little over 3 hours to drive to the destination.
We decided to have our base camp in the village of Cazorla, located at an altitude of about 840m. This small town was founded in Roman times and divided into several parts. The more recent part (less interesting from a tourist point of view), the old town and its small streets as well as the district of the castle which overhangs the valley. Our place (Airbnb home) was situated at the top of the village where you can easily go hiking but it is hundreds of steps down to the plaza where all restaurants are situated.
When swimming in the pool I could see 6 eagles 🦅 flying above me making a special noise, donkeys sounding just under our house, stray cats hanging around in good health, everyone has a dog and one city wild boar spotted 🐗 Never seen one before.
We did a river walk yesterday as it was very hot hot. Just a walk into downtown is like a small hike 🥾up up and down down.
All houses have an old rustic type of tile on the roofs which gives a special character for this town. There are enormous grapevines planted on the ground and they grow up through the balconies and walls.
The walking facilities in this area are enormous but in August it is limited because of the heat. The riverbed walks are manageable as the vegetation is thick and you get the natural shadow. The dip in the natural pools cools you down even more.
We made our home trip a little more exciting, not really planning, just a car, mobile pay and Google Maps. First one hour, after leaving town Cazorla behind, only olive trees in our sight.
We headed up to Pantamo de Tranco (reservoir) by the river Guadalquivir. This riverside was so beautiful that I felt we were in a tropical land. After the swim, we made a short visit to the town of Ubeda. We must return!