6 corners of Andalusia ideal for collecting mushrooms in autumn

Are you willing to visit some of the best places in Andalusia for mushroom picking while enjoying a pleasant day in the nature and with the best products?

If so, you are at the right time. With the arrival of autumn, our forests are filled with mushrooms. Although there are many who have their eye on the best areas for collecting it (especially locals and mycology enthusiasts), others still do not know where to find it. travel and collect mushrooms in Andalusia.

It is clear that mycology is a very old but at the same time very fun activity that many like. Spending a fantastic day in the countryside while you walk through the mountains and collect something so pure and that Mother Earth gives is a unique sensation. Is there anything more natural than that?

The tradition of collecting and consuming mushrooms has been practiced for many centuries. The truth is that it is a joy to see how every year mushroom lovers go out to the forest with their baskets and have a nice day. Knowing how to differentiate them is an art.

Andalusia has all the ingredients to be one of your favorite options for mushroom picking (it has nothing to envy other regions such as Galicia). Its great variety of landscapes, its rich biodiversity and the large areas that meet the appropriate conditions for its growth make it an ideal destination.

If you are interested in collecting mushrooms but don't know where to start, I suggest 6 corners for mushroom picking in Andalusia. You decide which one to choose!

#1 Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche, Huelva

With exuberant vegetation, where extensive pastures of holm oaks and cork oaks, olive groves, chestnut trees, or riparian vegetation such as poplars, ash trees, willows predominate, giving rise to unparalleled landscapes, in Sierra de Aracena you will find a perfect place to collect mushrooms. In addition to the fun of searching for authentic delicacies, you will be able to witness all the natural beauties that this environment offers you.

With a little luck, the mushrooms that you can find in this autumn time are the tana (amanita caesarea), tentullo (boletus), oyster mushroom (pleurotus eryngii). I propose this interesting mycological route through Alájar where they will teach you everything you need about mycology.

#2 Sierra de Segura, Jaén

It is considered one of the best mountains in Andalusia to look for mushrooms. Its climatic conditions are very peculiar, making it an area more than frequented by collectors. Some corners where you will surely be right in your search are: La Capellanía, Río Madera or the high areas of the municipality of Siles. Although it is very difficult to name the most common ones due to their great variety, the notable ones are the chanterelle (lactarius deliciosus), the poplar mushroom (agrocybe cylindracea) or the sooty mushroom (tricholoma terreum).

To expand your knowledge about mushrooms, I recommend a very family-friendly two-day event, the Mycological Conferences of the Sierra de Segura. Organized by the El Tranco Leisure and Tourism Center, they are aimed at all types of audiences and include a collection and identification workshop, along with a cooking workshop and a solar boat ride through the Tranco reservoir.

#3 Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama, Málaga

Characterized by a spectacular succession of ridges and deep valleys where a great diversity of plants predominates, it houses a landscape of great floristic richness and precious ideal trails to travel, very frequented by hikers and mountaineers. For mushroom lovers, it is a well-known area and one of the traditional areas for mushroom collection.

It is estimated that there are more than 40 different varieties of mushrooms in the natural park. When it rains generously in autumn, the mycological explosion is guaranteed after a few days, so I recommend being very attentive. Among the most common species, the black ear (helvella leocopus), also known as field ear, stands out.

#4 Sierra de Montoro, Córdoba

If you are a lover of nature and mycology, you cannot miss the opportunity to visit the Sierra de Montoro, in Sierra Morena. The streams that cross the Sierra, the forests and the bushes give rise to places of great beauty. The cool and rainy areas of this mountain range in Córdoba make the presence of fungi important. Thanks to trees such as pine trees, the presence of the most common mushrooms found in the autumn and winter season such as chanterelles (Lactarius delicious) can be highlighted.

Among the most frequently found types of fungi are Suillus, Helvella, Inocybe, Mycena, Clavulina, Amanita or Clitocybe. You will only have to grab your favorite basket, sharpen your knife and put on your best boots to spend a spectacular day of adventure. The best opportunity to learn to differentiate mushrooms in this wonderful Cordoban mountain range!

#5 Los Alcornocales, Cádiz

When the mushroom picking season has ended in almost the entire Peninsula, it begins in the Alcornocales Natural Park. Much of its territory is occupied by forest masses of native Mediterranean forest. Considered a mycological paradise in southern Spain, in this natural space you can enjoy the aroma of the trumpets of the dead, the size of some of the boletus, the beauty of the chanterelle cibarius and the well-known chanterelles.

While taking a mycology route you will enter its incredible landscapes, the peaks of El Aljibe and El Picacho being of great interest. If you reach the top, you will witness panoramic views that will leave you speechless. Don't miss the opportunity to discover the nature that hides this magical place while you collect mushrooms.

#6 Sierra Norte de Sevilla

The Sierra Norte of Seville It is a spectacular protected space, declared a Natural Park. In addition to being an ideal place for activities or excursions discovering unparalleled corners, it is also an ideal place for searching for mushrooms. Its gigantic area of more than 170,000 hectares makes it a true paradise for fans of mushroom picking during the fall.

Species begin to see the light in different temperature and humidity conditions. In October, along with the first rains and heat, the proliferation of fly agarics, boletus and wild mushrooms is likely. Then, at the beginning of November, chanterelles, blue-footed mushrooms, chanterelles and death trumpets appear.

Recommendations for going out into the forest to look for mushrooms

Once you have chosen your ideal place well, I give you some keys that you have to take into account when collecting mushrooms:

• Know well the type of mushrooms you are going to collect. If there is something that characterizes mycology, it is the large number of species that exist. Therefore, never pick a mushroom if in doubt!
• Always carry a guide with you to easily identify toxic and poisonous mushrooms.
• In case of possible poisoning, you have to quickly call the emergency phone number.
• We have to take care of our natural environment. It will depend on whether we can all enjoy this activity every year. It's in everyone's hands!
• It is very important to know that the mushroom cannot be plucked, but rather we must cut it with a knife or razor. Here You will find a wide variety to choose from.
• Make sure the mushroom spores fall to the ground as you walk in search of more mushrooms. A basket is the right container, since it is not completely covered.
• Finally, always wear comfortable clothing and appropriate footwear. Many of the mushrooms are located in complicated areas, so wearing the appropriate clothing is ideal.
• Look for areas where it rained a few days before, is humid and has a type of soil prone to the appearance of mushrooms.

If you want to collect mushrooms in Andalusia, you just have to choose some of these places and spend a fantastic day visiting in search of the most delicious mushrooms in Andalusia. Don't forget to follow the advice!