cazorla nature park (parque natural de cazorla)

It is for nature lovers, not to be missed. Autumn is a good time to visit for the colours, still warm but not too hot. Will see deer, hear boars. We stayed in Cazorla, the Parador and near Rio Borosa. It is driving on mountain roads, no middle marking and no barriers on the side of the road. Just take it steady.

Fantastic beautifull place! Remember to bring food and anything that you need to eat during your trip - there are NO posibility of getting food. loved the place :-) Can take a bike as well.

Great mountain scenery but scary, narrow roads. You will need a miracle to see the reintroduced lammergeiers. We had a v knowledgeable guide he could not find them and said some of those released are thought to have been have been killed. Lots of Griffon Vultures around and a few ibex. If you go into the high, dry country in the south you need a four wheel drive, even in summer. I wouldn't bother to go back.

Sign posting or lack of them, lovely setting nice pool and gardens.Good restaurant and breakfast excellent value.

Our favorite park in Spain for hiking, and wildlife. If you stop for a rest you might well get checked out by the vultures looking for their lunch! There are quite a few tame foxes that will beg food off you, but proceed quietly and you should see plenty of wild pigs, deer, mountain goats, dung beetles , snakes and very rarely a wild cat etc etc . The birds of prey, flowers, trees, rock formations, waterfalls after rain, all add to make this a truly amazing park to visit.The most popular trails you find in guide books such as the Rio Borosa or Cazorla to Gilillo get overrun with hikers at weekends so pick your day. Since our visit last year some of the dirt roads have at last been graded so you can even possibly drive at 30km/h without breaking your car or your teeth! They have also sign posted more hiking trails but the Alpina map and a well prepared hiking gps is invaluable if you intend to venture far from the road as we have learned to our cost!It is easy to get lost hiking in this park so be sure to take sufficient water with you and before starting you should also verify whether your mobile phone works as the network coverage is pretty poor. COME PREPARED & TAKE YOUR TIME!

We love the national parks and monuments in the USA, and I had read about the Cazorla Nature Park, so when we planned a trip to Spain we thought this would be a place to visit. We chose to drive from Cordoba to Cazorla (we stayed at a lovely hotel in Burunchel - Hotel Curro) and the roads through the olive groves and small towns was worth the trip. But staying on the edge of the Park was wonderful. We were only a few minutes away from the hiking trails, and driving through the forest was spectacular. The area is sculpted by the River Guadalquivir out of the surrounding limestone. Three of the best spots are the ‘the Cascada de Linarejos waterfall’, also known as the cola del caballo or “horse’s tail” is best visited in spring, Río Borosa, the most popular hiking route in the park, is a broad trail with the the fast flowing waters of the Borosa flowing along the dense riparian vegetation combine to form one of the most spectacular river scenes in southern Spain, and Puente de las Herrerías, where there is a nice place for picnicking.

Simply the best park of andalucia. You can't forget to visit the borosa river. And Cazorla town is incredible, small, quite and beautiful..

Stunning. full of wildlife, fantastic scenery. Look out for rutting stags at this time of year, wild boar families, red squirrel and foxes. Craggy limestone mountains that reach 2000m with rivers, lakes and waterfalls all combine to make this a must-do.

A stunning area. Very quiet and not touristy. Great walking and a brilliant place to stand and watch vultures wheeling above you.

Splendid park for hiking, biking and wildlife. If you stop for a rest you might well get checked out by the vultures looking for their lunch! At last they have got round to sign post some hiking trails but a gps is still invaluable. The dirt access roads are neglected and in an abominable condition and 20km/h is frequently as fast as you can progress!

Definitely the place to go, if you are looking for beautiful scenery and well-signposted walks. There are many opportunities to enjoy the Parque Natural. The information centre can definitely help you with choosing the options you like best. An absolute must is hiking the Rio Borosa trail (which we did on a VERY rainy day and enjoyed it nevertheless), but- don't stop at the powerstation, where a sign says 'End of Rio Borosa Trail', because it is another 4 to 5 km until you reach the two beautiful mountain lakes at the end of the trail;- don't be afraid of getting wet feet, because sometimes small streams and the trail are identical;- don't forget a flash light for the two tunnels you walk through after the powerstation.But there are many other trails, so don't go there for just one day.

the whole experience was a bit dissapointing to be honest.the Natural park is about a hours drive from Zujar where I was staying, and eventhough i understand this is out of anyones control we didnt get to see any wild animals or big birds...the park itself is remarcable and worth the visit but it was built up a bit to much in my mind

We took a four wheel drive tour which we booked at short notice through the receptionist of our hotel. This was a good move as it removed the stress of driving ourselves and allowed us to concentrate on the scenery. Unfortunately, the driver only spoke Spanish which meant that we missed out on much of the information which he constantly imparted to the four others in the 4wd. Also we could not easily stop if we saw something interesting. On the other hand, we were taken to places I would not have driven our hire car. I would not have seen that there were Vultures perched on the cliffs and I did not have a telescope like the driver's, to peer at them. The views in the Park are spectacular and well worth visiting. We were pleased to be shown them by an enthusiatic local guide in the relative comfort of a 4wd.

but bring a flash light for the tunnels...and be prepared to get wet feet

Staying in Cazorla itself offers many hotels tavernas and good restaurants. Travelling out into the valleys and hills offers wonderful views, long easy rambles and stunning little hilltop and hillside villages. Recommended for a few days of 'get away from it' exploring and walking. Lovely!!