Sierra de Espuna Murcia

Southwest of Murcia city, the Andalucian sierras tail off into a series of rocky massifs, undeveloped and undiscovered. This is the Sierra de Espuna, one of Spain's renowned natural parks, a wilderness area of dramatic peaks and pine forests offering scenic drives, serious climbing and superb walking.

The forest was the inspiration of Ricardo Codorniu, an engineer charged in 1891 with finding a solution to the frequent and destructive floods which swept down from the sierra to the villages below. Huge areas of hillside were planted with Canary pine, cypresses and cedars, which stabilised the slopes and created this unique habitat. Over the last century more than 250 plant species have established themselves, and the forest is the home of wild boar, deer, mountain cats and tortoises, as well as more common woodland creatures.

At 1,579m, the ochre peak of Espuna dominates the whole park area, frequently glimpsed through the trees from the road which runs through the park from Alhama to Aledo. This narrow, steep and tortuous road is one of Murcia's most beautiful, and gives access to different areas of Espuna. Waymarked walking trails run through the woods, tracks give access to challenging rock climbs, there are shady glades with natural springs and well laid out picnic areas.