8 Types of Mushrooms Found in 3 Mountains: Cazorla, Segura and las Villas

Collecting wild mushrooms is like playing golf: a good physical condition is required, the ability to concentrate and tons of good luck. To fill up a basket of Queen boletes is like winning the Master of Augusta without wearing the green jacket. So put on your working clothes and go find these excellent species of wild mushrooms in Cazorla, Segura and las Villas Natural Park.

These three mountain ranges of Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas, being the biggest Natural Protected Area of Spain, harbor 1,400 species of mushrooms.

Most of them are edible and able to compete with the best ham or cheese. Among those, there are 8 of them that are excellent.

Nattule tell you which ones and where to find them:

1. saffron Milk Cap Mushroom

The most sought after wild mushroom is easy to identify due to the orange cap and the darker concentric rings. When you cut the stipe, a reddish liquid impregnates the knife. There are 4 different subspecies (Lactarius deliciosus, Lactarius sanguifluus, Lactarius semisanguifluus and Lactarius vinosus) with a common ground: all of them are highly appreciated by those who delight with these delicacies.

There are found in pine forests with enough sunlight and organic matter on the ground. Most of the times they are buried or hidden underneath the fallen leaves.

Alternative: If you don't find among the pines, look for them in the nearby humid areas, like in a recent water stream.

Lactarius deliciosus

2. Poplar Field Cap, Agrocybe cylindracea

Este early bird mushroom is the first one to appear, easily found in humid areas. Sometimes it appears before autumn begins, even sometimes during springtime.

Its cap is brown and ovoid with white gills that darken as time passes. It has a white and fibrous stipe with a little brownish ring. Also notice the holes in the membrane that makes it unmistakable.

They are always found at the foot of black poplars and old poplars.

Agrocybe cylindracea

3. King Trumpet Mushroom, Pleurotus eryngii

It is a spring and autumn mushroom mainly located in meadows with abundant field eryngo.

Its cap would not be out of place at Ascot racecourse: it is caved in the center but flat on the sides, and dark brown in color. Its stipe is white and strong. Their gills reach the center. You'll recognize them by their pleasant smell.

Look for it where field eryngo is found. They are totally related, so, if the plant is not by it, then it is not the right mushroom.

Pleurotus eryngii

4. Monk's Head, Clitocybe geotropa

This mushroom grows forming lines. If you find them, congratulations: it is one of the best ones ever to find.

You will identify it by the unmistakable shape of its pileus and the shape of its cap, ochre color also in the base.

Clytocibe geotropa

5. Queen Bolete, Boletus aereus

Chubby shaped, the inside is much better than the outside. It's one of the preferred ones by the mushroom collectors and one of the most valuable boletes of southern Spain. It has a convexed dark brown cap and ocher and wide stipe. Its inside is always white. Look for it among Portuguese and evergreen oak woods.

Boletus aereus

6. Mushroom Parasol, Macrolepiota procera

It looks threatening, but is not poisonous at all. On the contrary, it is one of the most delicious ones, and it can be found in any habitat.

Its cap is soft yellow color. It can have scales on the top and be of 30 centimeters diameter. So, it does not try to hide itself.

To make sure you have found a parasol mushroom look its striped base and the double ring, and measure its cap. Should be of more than 10 or 15 centimeters. Use your sense of smell: this species gives off a very nice scent of cereal. So you would not get wrong and take your cousin the shaggy parasol mushroom, M. rhacodes.

Macrolepiota procera

7. Gray Knight, Tricholoma terreum

It is one of the most well-known and collected mushrooms, although if you collect a similar species it will not seem so delicious to you. Make sure its cap is dark gray and has a velvety touch. Its diameter is not more than 8 centimeters. It's a fragile mushroom and is located among pine forests.

Tricholoma terreum

8. Caesar's Mushroom, Amanita caesarea

It is the forest queen because of its excellent taste. So much so it was the preferred one of the Emperor Julius Caesar.

You can find them in two different growing stages:

During the early stage it looks like a yolk coming from an egg. It's the only mushroom with this look in its early stage.

In the adult stage its orange cap can be 20 centimeters diameter. The gills are yellow and the ring is stretchmarked.

Like all the amanitas, its base is covered by a sack, so it is mandatory to cut the complete base but in a very carefully way to not damage the mycelium.

Amanita caesarea

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Mushrooms play find-and-seek with collectors. Here are some clues to find them in Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas Nature Park.

Sierra de Segura

Among the three mountain ranges, this is the one harboring more mushrooms, mainly located on high areas. Above 1,000 meters is where the ideal conditions of humidity and temperature, along with organic matter, contribute to the growth of them.

Nattule explains two different routes where you can find them:

Spots Near Villages

La Capellanía (Hornos), Río Madera (Segura de la Sierra), Los Anchos, La Venta Rampias and Prado Maguillo (Santiago-Pontones) are spots where you will find them. Also in the upper area of Siles town, crossing in the Acebeas road. It is also possible to find them on your way towards El Puntal, on the trail leaving the village.

In those areas of pine forests the saffron milk is abundant. It's not difficult to find as well some Queen bolete and parasols.

Fields of Hernán Perea

King trumpet mushrooms are abundant in that area. To this lunar landscape you can arrive by a trail from the small village Don Domingo at Santiago-Pontones. If you can arrive there by 4×4 much better, but if you prefer to walk, just park at the village, take your basket and enjoy the walking.

Coming from Sierra de Cazorla, take the road from Vadillo Castril to Rambla Seca, through Nava de San Pedro, where from the other side, the Campos de Hernán Perea path begins.

Sierra de las Villas

The highest areas are mushrooms residentials. They like the continental environment of that territory. In particular, the route from Mogón to Pringue Puddle, bordering El Tranco Dam, is full of spots where this gift from Mother Earth grows.

To number a few spots: Fuente de los Cerezos, Peinero Cave, Aguascebas Dam, Recreational Area Gil Cobo and La Osera. All of them have the ideal conditions of humidity and soil to grow any type of mushrooms.

Traditionally, only saffron milk cap has been collected here, but because of its diversity of habitats, harbors a large amount of different ones.

This mountain range is the least known and visited of all the Park. Two good reasons to discover it while you enjoy your mycology hobby.

Sierra de Cazorla

Near the town of Cazorla, between Riogazas and the Montesión Monastery, reachable by the San Isicio path, you can find different types: gray knights, saffron milk caps and King trumpets.

Near the village we found a small river of barely 10 kilometers long, called Cerezuelo. By its shore you can find some mushrooms, although best areas are found by the Guadalquivir River Spring.

There are 3 different routes:

Starting from the bridge of Herrerías to Vadillo-Castril, go to the stream of Habares or climb the dirt track that crosses the spring of the Guadalquivir River and empties into Las Tres Cruces pine tree. From this place you have to go down to the area known as the Tornillos de Gualay Brook, a little frequented area where mushrooms are abundant.

You are in the spot called  Deep Sierra. You can go deeper in the area if you go towards Nava de San Pedro, where the Valdecuevas and Valdetrillo Streams flow. From there you can reach Rambla Seca check point to enter in Campos de Hernán Perea.

To enjoy these mushrooms routes keep in mind the following counsel:
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Experience is a must to identify the different species. Expert ones distinguish them with a quick look.

Mushroom collector is not a hiker, he does not get amazed by landscaping, he does not stop to take pictures, he does not gaze at the horizon. Mushroom collector only has eyes for the ground. It is a professional tracker, although the surroundings might be beautiful he focuses on the important. However, he would never look for a saffron milk cap in a garbage dump.

If you wish to know more about this Park and its mushrooms, post a comment and I'll be glad to answer you.

Now tell me. What has been the biggest mycological treasure you've found?

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