Points of interest:
The park lays in the central part of the Sierra Morena and is a semi-mountainous area. The heights ranging between 500 to 1290m with the highest peak being Burcio del Pino. The densely wooded areas maintain their natural Mediterranean vegetation. The northern edge borders with Ciudad Real, a province of Castilla la Mancha. To the west is the Cardeña y Montoro natural park, the two parks only being separated by the river Yeguas. There are two reservoirs in the eastern side of the park, Embalse del Jándula and Embalse El Encinarejo. There are also two game reserves that connect with the parks borders. The open plains are home to bulls reared for fighting. Another form of farming are the dehesas which are grass land with Cork and Holm oak trees spread spread across them, goats and pigs graze the pasture with the latter also eating the acorns.

This park holds four threatened wildlife species, Pardel lynx, Wolf, Imperial eagle and Black vulture.

Flora:
Holm (Quercus ilex) Gall (Q. faginea) and Cork oaks (Q. suber) with a natural thicket of Strawberry trees (Arbutus unedo), Mastic trees (Pistacia lentiscus), Myrtle (Myrtus communis), Wild olives (Olea europaea subsp. oleaster), Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera), Thyme, Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and Calamint (Calamintha nepeta) form the native undisturbed Mediterranean tapestry. Sierra Quintana has an excellent area of Atlantic oak woodland (Quercus atlantica).

Willows, Poplars, Oleanders and Alder trees are part of the selection seen on the rivers banks. Stone pines (Pinus pinea) also form important woodlands here, edible pine kernels can be extracted from the cones.

There are several unusual plants in the park to note, such as Frangula alnus subsp. baetica, Digitalis purpurea subsp. heywoodii, Coincya longirostra and Jasione crispa subsp. Mariana.

Fauna:
This is one of the few remaining habitats where the endangered Iberian lynx and Wolf can roam. Important assets for game hunting are the Wild boar, Mouflon, Red, Fallow and Roe deer. Mongoose, Wild cat and Fox are amongst the smaller mammals with elusive Otters on the river banks.

At the high rocky crags to the north of the park are Griffon and Egyptian vultures, Golden and Spanish Imperial eagle plus Red-billed chough. There are Azure-winged magpies and near to the water are Golden orioles, Nightingale, Purple and Grey herons

Also in the area:
The town of Andújar, south of the park, has a Roman bridge of 15 arches spanning the Guadalquivir river.

There are wonderful views from the 13thC sanctuary built on a towering crag, La Virgen de la Cabeza. There is a pilgrimage which makes its way to the sanctuary from Andújar on the last Sunday of April each year. “La Romería de la Virgen de la Cabeza” is the largest festival of Andújar with around half a million participants.

Information/Visitors Centers:
Centro de Visitantes Las Viñas de Peñallana, is on the J5010 Andújar to Santuario Virgen de la Cabeza road.

Natural and National parks in Andalusia