The Sierra Mágina Mountains rise up at the edge of the open Jaen countryside, surrounded by a sea of olive groves. From the mountain peaks there are wonderful views, with Pico Mágina being the highest point in the province at 2,167 metres above sea level, making the park is popular with mountaineers.

The rugged landscape and harsh weather conditions mean that Sierra Mágina is largely uninhabited. This has allowed the area to remain well conserved and today you can enjoy a natural, traditional setting here.

This Natural Park is quite small, but home to a wide variety of settings that you can explore on foot or by bike. It is well worth visiting the Cuadros Oleander Grove, the largest in Spain; the beautiful Zurreón Waterfall, which freezes in winter; and the Cánava Pine Forest, a Natural Monument of Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis).

Trails such as Gibralberca will show you how the vegetation changes according to altitude, with lower areas mainly dominated by cultivated land, especially olives. At medium heights, there is mixed woodland with holm oaks, Portuguese oaks and acer trees, alongside an abundance of shrubs such as juniper, Spanish juniper, terebinth and hawthorn. In the higher mountain areas, the vegetation comprises Savin juniper and blackthorn, with some areas of Corsican pine (Pinus negra), such as in the Gargantón Pine Grove. These peaks are also home to many rare species, such as Jurinea fontqueri, a type of thistle that can only be found in this Natural Park.

The relief of these impressive, magical mountains is ideal for other sporting activities and for observation of birds such as golden and Bonelli's eagles, the rock thrush and the ring ouzel. You can also see the odd mountain goat up on the crags. Furthermore, water erosion of the limestone rock here has led to the formation of a host of walkways and caves that make this an excellent place for caving, with important examples of karst formations to be found throughout the area.

This park was once the natural frontier between the Moorish and Christian kingdoms in the 13th-15th centuries, meaning that the region is charged with an interesting medieval atmosphere, reflected in the narrow streets of its towns and villages and in castles such as Albánchez de Mágina and Jódar, which is now the site of the Visitor Centre. Other attractions here are the remains of towers, fortresses and defensive walls which are found in nearly all the local villages. Regional gastronomy focuses on Denomination of Origin olive oil - yet another reason to visit this Nature Area.