Alcornocales Natural Park | Important celebrations | Weather | Alcalá YouTube video

This vast park covers 167,767 hectares, it is named after the handsome and beautifully kept cork oak forest, the largest in the Iberian Peninsula and one of the most important in the world.

The far south of the region is crossed by humid, deep, narrow V-shaped valleys, called canutos, which have been eroded by rivers and provide the ideal habitat for subtropical forests of great ecological value. Today, these forests only exist in Spain and Turkey but used to grow in many other parts of Europe. This naturally affords an amazing habitat for flora and fauna.

The area is easily accessible via road there are also many minor roads, forest tracks, walking and cycling routes crisscrossing the park. Forty minutes away is the Costa de la Luz unspoiled and untouched by the tourism that has degraded the mediterranean coasts of the Costas. The region is perfect for a variety of activities due its prime location between the mountains and the beautiful beaches of the Atlantic coast. The locality offers activities such as kite surfing, board surfing, snorkeling, sailing, diving, sea fishing, bird watching, golf, horse riding, quad biking, 4x4, walking and cycling as well as Spanish tuition and tapas tours, etc.

This Andalucian white village has remained largely unchanged over recent years and the old town centre was given official "Historic-Artistic" status in 1984. This privilege was awarded in recognition of the town's excellent eclectic examples of baroque and neoclassic architecture, as well as the typical Andaluz houses it has an authentic local atmosphere. Alcalá was also recognized in 1924 by the world famous Granada writer and poet, Federico Garcia Lorca, who wrote in appreciation of his Andaluz heritage "I breath for Málaga…. for Cádiz, for Alcalá de los Gazules, for what is intimately Andaluz." Alcala is also referred to by Laurie Lee in his novel A Rose in Winter.

Alcalá de los Gazules hosts an annual classical music festival and is on the famous 'Ruta del Toro' which links the towns famed for bull rearing and fighting, there is a bull run through the streets during the Easter Celebrations as well as many other fiestas. It is at the heart of the vast Parque Natural de los Alcornocales , a nature-lovers paradise. As well as many miles of greenery, blissful tranquility, clean air and country walks for contemplation, there are also opportunities to buy local artisan goods and locally produced game in some of the small shops in the town.

The town centre is compact, with its uneven streets, noble plazas and dazzling whitewashed walls. It is off the tourist beaten track, there are fewer bars and restaurants than in coastal towns and you are less likely to come across many English speakers or British menus.

At the time of the Muslim conquest in the 11th century the village became known as "Qalat at Yazula" or "Castle of the Gazules" and was handed over by the king of Granada. There are still some remains of the Castle from the time of the Arabic and Caliph reign. It was in 1264, when the city was won back by the Christians under the reign of Alfonso (The Wise One), which was when its present name "Alcalá de los Gazules" was first given. Some years after Alfonso, Alcalá became the responsibility of the Duke and Duchess of Alba, who built churches and convents, such as the Churches of San Jorge and San Francisco and the Santa Domingo Convent, all of which you can still visit today. Other historic monuments well worth visiting in the town are the Sanctuary of the Virgin de los Santos (5 kilometers outside of Alcalá) and the Fuente de la Salada - of Roman origin and built to allow the flow of a natural source of spring water, this is a hundred metres away from the Art Centre.

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