About

In the heart of Malaga, the Sierra de las Nieves is a paradise of contrasts, as displayed by the existence of the deepest gorge of Andalusia -GESM- and its peaks reaching 2,000 metres in height -La Torrecilla-.

In Malaga and the western part of the Bética ranges, it is a clear example of the karstic modelling of the topography, with its succession of peaks, cliffs, sink-holes, poljes, siphons, travertines, caves and chasms.

Surely, the Sierra de las Nieves hides the most complex labyrinth of caves and galleries in Andalusia: Sima Honda, Cueva de la Tinaja, Sima del Aire and Sima Prestá.

Springs, as the sulphurous water baths of Tolox, create a scene dominated by the sharp crests that house the world's greatest display of peridotites, rocks of magmatic origin that are rich in iron, magnesium and heavy metals that, in touch with air, show green to brown and reddish tones that characterise the hills of Corona and Abanto.

Fauna and flora

The botanical wealth is impressive, as it hosts up to 1,500 types of plants, 19 of them exclusive to Ronda. The main attraction is fir, a Mediterranean fir, botanical relic with its only stronghold in these mountains and surroundings - monumental nature of La Escalereta-. It shares the same altitude with groves of gall oak in the mountains of Tolox and with teak in very specific and unique strongholds - Cañada de las Carnicerías and Tolox plateau. The higher levels of the mountain break and lead to buckthorn bushes and shrubland that support the rigours of winter: junipers, holm juniper, broom, holm cherry and carrasquilla, typical of the southernmost latitudes.

In low levels are holm-oak that alternate in more humid areas with cork and a thicket comprising buckthorn, gorse, juniper oil juniper, hawthorn, grey-leaved cistus, blackthorn, barberry and sowthistle. There is also pine, splashes of carob and chestnut, and cornicabra, one of the best populations of Andalusia.

Although the mountain goat is the emblematic fauna of the protected area, perhaps its birds is of even greater interest, with up to 120 species, with ample representation of birds of prey, both day and night. During the migratory movements. great flocks of honey buzzard and black kite can be seen, and other birds, both linked to forests, rocks or river beds. Of particular note is the presence of invertebrates, as the local red swamp crayfish and black spider Los Alcornocales (the largest of continental Europe), a significant number of bats, a subspecies of salamander exclusive to the Sierras of Cadiz <http://www.andalucia.org/es/destinos/provincias/cadiz/> and Malaga and some fish restricted to only the watercourses of this area: cacho of Malaga (Guadalevín River) and fraile (Verde River) fish.