The Sierra de Hornachuelos extends for 60,032ha and is part of the vast 400,000ha Unesco Biosphere Reserve for the Sierra Morena mountain range, along with the natural parks of the adjacent Sierra Norte and the Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche.
Part of the Sierra Morena, the Sierra de Cardeña y Montoro covers 38,449ha of gently rolling hills in the far northeastern corner of Cordoba province. Its slopes, rising from 400m to the highest peak, the 828m-high La Colmena, are dominated by Mediterranean woods and scrubland, interspersed with fields of cereal cultivation.
The central section of the immense Sierra Morena is made up of the extensive and sparsely populated Sierra Norte de Sevilla Natural Park, a landscape of gently rolling hills clad in dense evergreen oaks. It's similar to the adjacent natural parks of the Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche and Hornachuelos, in the provinces of Huelva and Cordoba respectively.
The two main monuments in this village are the Ermita de la Virgen de Villaviciosa and the Iglesia de San José.
Upon entering the village of Villanueva del Rey, visitors are welcomed by the Ermita de Santiago el Menor, a beautiful chapel providing just a small insight into the rich local history. It has around 1080 inhabitants.
Villaharta welcomes a large number of tourists who wish to enjoy its tranquil natural setting. The small town has around 660 inhabitants.
Valsequillo is a small village whose Plaza de la Constitución is a testament to the rich local history, with post-Civil War monuments, the Town Hall and the Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción. The village has around 360 inhabitants.
Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo was once an industrial and mining town, and the chimneys of the old industrial zone are still one of the town's most striking features. Today, its highlights include the Museo Geológico-Minero, which houses a collection of minerals, rocks and fossils. The town has about 11, 000 inhabitants.
Obejo's annual religious festivals alone make the village worth a visit, with the Romeria de San Benito pilgrimage, and Los Danzantes de Obejo, a display of dancing which accompanies the village's patron saint on a procession to the chapel. The small Cordoban community has around 2000 inhabitants.
Montoro has been named an area of Historical and Artistic Interest, and has a privileged location at the heart of the Parque Natural Cardeña-Montoro. The town has around 9500 inhabitants.
Visitors to Los Blázquez have to try the town's exquisite cerdo ibérico (Iberian pork), in particular the chorizo. The small municipality has around 730 inhabitants.
One of La Granjuela's most attractive offerings to visitors is its food, in particular its speciality of suckling pig. Unfortunately, the village was largely destroyed during the Civil War, so almost no historical buildings remain. The village now has around 470 inhabitants.
Fuente Obejuna is known as the modernist jewel of Córdoba, with the famous early twentieth-century Casa Palacio Cardona the town's most iconic building. It has around 4700 inhabitants.
Espiel is an ideal destination for climbers, a 45-minute walk from the peak of the Sierra del Castillo; one of the most beautiful and popular climbing zones in Andalucía. The small city has almost 2500 inhabitants.
Belmez is a small whitewashed village with around 3000 inhabitants. Its mountaintop castle is the village's centrepiece, and affords spectacular views of the surrounding Sierra Morena.
Adamuz can be found found at the foot of Sierra Morena, next to the Camino de la Plata. The town has about 4,200 inhabitants. The first signs of human population within the Adamuz area were found in caves with archaeological sites, in Cueva del Cañaveralejo, including human remains and ceramics belonging to the end of the fifth millennium BC.
