Cardeña: Nature Park, Trails and Culture

Nature and Trails

The Parque Natural Sierra de Cardeña y Montoro features rounded granite hills and gentle slopes; its landscape includes dehesas, reforested pine forests and Mediterranean scrubland. The nature park’s extensive network of trails offers opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, donkey riding and cycling.

The Cardeña–Aldea del Cerezo trail is 6 kilometres long, takes about two hours and has a low difficulty level. The route begins in the centre of Cardeña and leads into a young dehesa.

Landscape and Observation

The Venta Nueva Visitor Centre in Cardeña presents the area’s Mediterranean landscape, including dehesa systems, Mediterranean scrubland and pine forests. The route from the Venta Nueva Visitor Centre to the Embalse de Tejoneras covers 5.47 kilometres by car followed by 950 metres on foot; the estimated total time is 45 minutes.

At the nearby Embalse de Tejoneras, visitors can use observation points and binoculars to watch little grebes, coots, ducks and great crested grebes. Cardeña can be reached via the N-420, A-423 and A-420 roads; the N-420 connects the town with the Guadalquivir Valley.

During a stay in Cardeña, a hotel can serve as a general accommodation option; this does not specify any particular accommodation, and further travel planning remains open and can continue independently at your own pace.

Other destinations

Other destinations in the Córdoba selection include Pedro Abad, Rute, Fuente Tójar, Aguilar De La Frontera, El Tarajal, Córdoba, Montemayor and Baena.

Culture and History

The Sala Expositiva El Arte de la Caza is a permanent exhibition about hunting and various hunting-related uses. The Jardín Didáctico Mediterráneo explains traditional uses of plants and various ecosystems.

The Jardín Didáctico Mediterráneo presents native plant species considered to occur exclusively in this municipality. The Mirador Astronómico is located near the centre of Cardeña on the site of a former water reservoir.

The Mirador Astronómico has a computer-controlled digital planetarium that can simulate the sky for any date and location on Earth. The astronomical observatory of Cardeña is a recommended stop for astronomy enthusiasts.

The Aldea de El Cerezo began as a small settlement of stone houses inhabited by around one hundred shepherds in the dehesa beside the Río Yeguas and was later restored for rural tourism. The Aldea de El Cerezo can be explored via trails on foot, on horseback or by bicycle.

The Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen was built from 1950 onwards and inaugurated six years later, after the former church had been completely destroyed during the Spanish Civil War. The church has a Latin-cross floor plan and Baroque-style decoration.

Gastronomy

The Feria del Lechón Ibérico in Cardeña is a gastronomic event centred on suckling pig and accompanied by numerous activities.

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