Sierra de San Pablo

905

The Sierra de Montellano, also known as the Sierra de San Pablo, on whose slopes the town is located, is a limestone formation that reaches an altitude of up to 600 m, and which preserves natural vegetation of great interest for a town whose surrounding area is occupied largely by arable crops and olive groves.

This mountain range, which forms part of the foothills of the Sub-Baetic zone of the Baetic mountain ranges, has a fairly rugged relief, although its altitude is not very high, reaching an average of around 300 m. The substrate is composed of limestone and dolomite in the higher areas, and loamy materials in the lower ones. The limestone areas are subject to karstification processes, so it is common to find caves, such as the Cave of La Gitana. This mountain range is home to the source of some tributary streams of the Salado de Morón and there are numerous springs and wells, such as the so-called Pozo Lobero, a place where the wolves that lived in the area came to drink.

Among the most interesting points from which to admire the views of the surroundings are the viewpoint of La Cruz, from which one can see the town of Montellano and the countryside of Cadiz, and the Tajo del Aguila, a natural, north-facing escarpment, from which one can observe the countryside of Seville, the port of Acebuche, and the castle of Cote, a 13th-century defensive construction, with a strategic location at the southeastern end of the mountain range.

Region

Sierra Sur

Category

Recreation spaces

Surface area

350.00 Ha

Flora

The vegetation consists mainly of coniferous and oak forests, along with areas of scrub. The main species of conifers are the Aleppo pine and maritime pine, which are accompanied by holm oak and carob trees, as well as a great variety of shrubs and herbaceous plants, including some species of orchids. The elevation of the rocky outcrops of this mountain range, over fairly flat surroundings, gives it great scenic value and makes it a unique natural viewpoint from which you can see both the town of Montellano itself and other towns in the Sierra Sur.

Fauna

Small rodents, foxes, reptiles such as the ladder snake and ocellated lizard, numerous birds of prey, warblers, woodpeckers, etc.

Links

Guía de Turismo de Naturaleza

Labels

Sierra

Karst

Viewpoint