Sierra Norte de Sevilla Natural Park

The Sierra Norte de Sevilla spans 177,484 hectares across the northern part of the province, between the Viar and Huéznar river basins on the southern slopes of Sierra Morena. Its geological substrate combines Palaeozoic slates and quartzites with Cambrian limestone and granite outcrops, a lithological variety that produces a rolling landscape of rounded hills, incised valleys and wooded riverbanks. Elevations range from 200 metres in the Viar valley to 960 metres at La Capitana peak, enough relief to generate microclimates that multiply habitats across short distances.

The dehesa is the dominant ecosystem and the park's defining feature. Centuries-old holm oaks and cork oaks, their trunks stripped to reveal reddish inner bark, spread in open formations where Iberian pigs, Retinta cattle and Merino sheep graze. This agrosilvopastoral system, managed across generations, sustains greater biodiversity than many closed forests: beneath the canopy grow rockrose, lavender and wild orchids, while Egyptian mongoose, badger and common genet forage among the roots. Along the banks of the Huéznar, designated a Natural Monument, alder, ash and willow form dense galleries where the temperature drops several degrees compared to the surrounding dehesa. The sound of water flowing over the Huéznar cascades, a sequence of travertine steps formed by calcium carbonate deposition, accompanies walkers for several kilometres along the riverside trail.

The Sierra Norte's birdlife is remarkable in both diversity and density. Black storks, present with several breeding pairs, nest on the most inaccessible river cliffs. Black vultures and griffon vultures share scavenging grounds with Egyptian vultures. In the dehesas, the azure-winged magpie, an Iberian endemic, moves in noisy flocks through the holm oak canopy. During winter, cranes arrive from northern Europe and gather in the dehesas in groups that can exceed a thousand individuals, feeding on acorns and tubers. Dusk over the dehesa, with crane silhouettes against an orange sky, is one of the park's most recognisable scenes.

Mining and industrial heritage add a historical layer to the natural landscape. The Cerro del Hierro mines, worked from Roman times to the mid-20th century, have left an artificial karst landscape of pinnacles, canyons and hollows carved from limestone by iron ore extraction. Today this mineral labyrinth is a sport climbing area with over 100 bolted routes and an interpretive trail explaining both the geology and mining history. In Cazalla de la Sierra, traditional anise and aguardiente distilleries maintain a craft dating to the 16th century, with several producers still making artisanal liqueurs from aromatic sierra plants.

The park's towns preserve a mountain architecture of whitewashed houses, Mudéjar churches and squares shaded by orange trees. Constantina, Cazalla de la Sierra, Guadalcanal and San Nicolás del Puerto are the main settlements, each with its own character and a culinary tradition built on acorn-fed Iberian pork, goat cheese and seasonal mushrooms. The Al-Ándalus tourist train and the Vía Verde de la Sierra Norte, a former railway converted into a cycling and walking path, offer ways to explore the territory without a private vehicle. Seville city is less than an hour away via the A-455, making it easy to combine a day in the countryside with urban culture.