Parque Natural Cascada de la Cimbarra (en)

A few kilometers from the Despeñaperros Natural Park, in the vicinity of the municipality of Aldeaquemada, is the Cascada de La Cimbarra Natural Site.

It is a picturesque place of abrupt relief where the Guarrizas river forms a  succession of waterfalls. The most beautiful and spectacular is La Cimbarra, the name given by the locals to the waterfalls. In it is exposed on the surface a vertical network, formed by a rocky strata very resistant to erosion. This rock is called Armorican quartzite and can also be seen in other places in the area. Occasionally, it is possible to observe on these rocks the fossil traces of
organisms or the spectacular ripples caused by the waves. These traces reveal the marine origin of these rocks 500 million years ago.

Other waterfalls well known for their singular beauty are those of Cimbarrillo, in the Martín Pérez stream, and María Antonia, in the Cimbarrilla stream. 

In addition to its waterfalls, this natural place is characterized by a very diverse vegetation. There is an abundance of oak and cork oak groves with a thick Mediterranean scrub. The repopulation with stone and black pine and dense riparian forests provide a pleasant aroma to the place. In their desfiladeros, between the cracks, grow plants such as doradi-lla, a type of fern that owes its name to the golden color of the reverse side of its leaves. This variety of
landscapes favors the presence of interesting animals, including predators such as the fox or the genet, birds such as the golden eagle, Bonelli’s eagle or the eagle owl, and the otter that inhabits the riverbeds.

This protected area also stands out for its valuable cultural heritage, consisting of about twenty important prehistoric evidences. Interesting examples are the Pochico Tablet, on the Cimbarra hill, or those of Monuera and Desesperada. In them, valuable samples of rock art have been found, which have led to the declaration of these sites as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.