Zoom
Sierra de las Nieves. Peter JonesPeter Jones
Friday, 23 January 2026, 14:39
The Penibaetic range of mountains dips its toes into the Mediterranean on the eastern side of Gibraltar and into the Atlantic to Gibraltar's western seaboard. From here the range strikes north and then eastwards, never far from the Mediterranean and has its ceiling in the Sierra Nevada with several peaks of over 3,000 metres. It is as dramatic as it is stunning. The Serranía de Ronda and Sierra de Grazalema are situated amidst the limestone peaks.
To the southwest of the Serranía the mountains are sandstone. The habitats of the area are varied and include sheer limestone cliffs, pine woods (Pinus sylvestris, P. pinaster), Spanish Fir (Abies pinsapo), grasslands, scrub and oak (Quercus rotundifolia, Q. suber) woods. Among the flora there are several species endemic to the area.
i
www.andaluciabirdsociety.org
The bird community is particularly rich and include golden (Aquila chrysaetos), Bonelli's (A. fasciatus), booted (A.pennatus) and short-toed (Circaetus gallicus) eagles; griffon (Gyps fulvus) and Egyptian (Neophron percnopterus) vultures; peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus); lesser kestrels (F. naumanni); eagle owls (Bubo bubo); white-rumped (Apus caffer), alpine (A.melba) and pallid (A.pallidus) swifts; blue rock (Monticola solitarius) and rock thrush (M. saxatilis); black wheatear (Oenanthe leucura); black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros); chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax); rock sparrow (Petronia petronia); rock bunting (Emberiza cia) and crossbill (Loxia curvirostra).
The surrounding area includes two major national parks, Sierra de las Nieves (declared Biosphere Reserve by Unesco in 1995), Sierra de Grazalema (declared Biosphere Reserve by Unesco in 1977) and the natural park Los Alcornocales a richly wooded park and declared Zepa reserve (zone of special protection for birds).
The mountain areas of the Serranía de Ronda provide an amazing resource for the people to visit one of the most scenically stunning areas in Spain and certainly it is a jewel in the crown for Spanish wildlife. I hope you might be encouraged to visit this wildlife paradise.