The mainly source of incomings in El Bosque is the tourism, so much so that the 709 counted houses 156 are secondary houses and used as second home. It also has small factories for making leather goods.

The attractives and charms are noumerous; but maybe, the outstandings are the forest and its worthy river.

 

They are characterised by their narrow streets and red rooftops. Many of these towns preserve a castle, or the remains of one. There are plenty of opportunities to tour these towns and villages, with the option of choosing anything from short trips, to tours which last for a number of days.

The countryside and natural enclosures

The majority of the towns described here are situated in the western zone of the Andalusian mountain range. The highest point is Pico de Pinar (at an altitude of 1,654 m), which is the place with the highest rainfall in the whole of Spain. Just a few miles to the east, in Ronda hills, the climate becomes much drier. In addition to the Holms and Cork Oaks, the Spanish Fir, an extremely scarce specie of tree, dominates the forests. Further to the east of Arcos de la Frontera countless cultivation fields stretch out to the horizon.

Nature Reserve Sierra de Grazalema

It is one of the biggest nature reserves in Andalucía (51.695 hectare) stretching the towns of: Algodonales, Benaocaz, El Bosque, El Gastor, Grazalema, Prado del Rey, Ubrique, Villaluenga del Rosario y Zahara de la Sierra.
It has the highest rainfall in the Peninsula Iberica (more than 2000 l per m2).
Thanks to the rainfall, it has a very beautiful karstic landscape with lots of scarps, caverns and gorges. Outstanding above all La Garganta Verde (The Green Gorge, a rocky wall with more than 400m of vertical drop) or El Cerro de El Torreón (the highest point in the county, at 1654m above sea level).
Furthermore, it is an area with big faunals and botanicals values, standing out birds of prey (griffon vulture, golden eagle), the deer and, its spanish fir forest.

Nature Reserve the Alcornocales

Fifteen towns can be found in this enormous nature park of 170.025 hectares, situated between the provinces of Cádiz (Alcalá de los Gazules, Algar, Algeciras, Arcos de la Frontera, Benaocaz, Castellar de la Frontera, El Bosque, Jerez de la Frontera, Los Barrios, Medina Sidonia, Tarifa y Ubrique) and Málaga. Its name refers to the large number of Cork Oaks (the biggest in the world) which are distributed around its lands, nowadays only the reminiscences of the primitive iberic forests.
Its usual faunal are roe deers, griffon vulture, eagle owls, ichneumon and wild boars.
The cork oaks exploitation consisting in stripping the bark from, has turned into one of the most valuables natural resources facing a sustaineble development.
Because it is a protected area, it´s necesary to ask for an access permission to come into it; we can get it at th AMA´s office located in Alcalá de los Gazules.

Agencia de Medio Ambiente Parque Natural de "Los Alcornocales". Plaza de San Jorge, 1. Casa del Cabildo. 11180. Alcalá de los Gazules (Cádiz). Tls: 956 41 33 07, 956 41 33 08, 956 41 30 05. Fax: 956 42 05 11

 

Other Interesting Places

-Nature Reserve Peñón de Zaframagón (Algodonales North).
- Dams: Los Hurones, de Barbate, de Guadarranque, de Charco Redondo-Palmones, de Celemín, de Guadalcacín, de Arcos y de Bornos.
- Medina´s Lake.

Recreational Facilities at Nature Reserve Sierra de Grazalema

- In El Bosque: "Los Cañitos". A-373 El Bosque-Ubrique road, Km 12. Services offered: fountains, tables, barbacues and cleaning service.
- In Benamahoma: "Llanos del Campo". A-372 El Bosque-Grazalema road, km 40. Services offered: shelters, tables, barbacues, fountains and clening service.

Natura Rooms

- El Higuerón de Tavizna. El Bosque-Ubrique road. 11612. Benaocaz. Tlf. y Fax: 956 23 42 11. Services offered: bunk beds dormitory,kitchen, dinning room, hot water and heating bathrooms, recreational rooms, laboratory, beehives, metheorological rooms, climbing place and thematic library.