Seen from afar, a fir is the prop of an Andersen story. Seen up close, it's a Christmas franchise.

Do you want to see it?

Flora is probably not at the top of your list. ecotourism proposals, but you will change your mind. Between Spain and Morocco there are seven fir forests so beautiful that they will make you wonder why you didn't study botany. It doesn't matter anymore, of course. Furthermore, even if you are a mining engineer, high school teacher or master bricklayer, you have the opportunity to enjoy with Nattule this original plant species rooted in the Andalusian mountain ranges.

Where to see Spanish firs in Spain

The Spanish fir, a unique ecosystem in the world, is located in Cádiz and Málaga, as well as in a very specific area of Morocco. Here I explain the seven fir trees that you can visit:

1. Pinsapar of the Sierra de Grazalema

The fir of the Sierra del Pinar, 300 hectares long, is the best known of those in Spain. It is an extensive mass of fir trees, adorned with oaks and dotted with maples.

The Spanish fir forest covers the entire northern slope, where there are fir trees of all sizes and all ages. The common factor is its excellent state of conservation, which makes it unique.

Now you'll want to know how to get there.

It is easy, from the municipality of Grazalema you turn off from the A-372 to CA-53 until you reach the sign indicating the Pinsapar trail. Here you run into a fence. To cross it you need to obtain a permit. The pass will allow you to reach the maximum height of the slope, from which you have spectacular views of the Spanish fir.

You will avoid administrative procedures if you hire an organized visit, like this one route that runs through the Sierra de Grazalema.

The difficulty of the route is medium. It begins with a significant slope in the first section and continues with a gentle and long descent through the pine forest until reaching Benamahoma (from the Arabic ibn Muhammad, “Sons of Muhammad”).

Don't forget that you will need a vehicle at the end of the tour in Benamahoma, although it doesn't have to be a car. In addition to seeing Spanish firs, the Sierra de Grazalema is a magnificent place to start a mountain bike trip through the natural parks of Cádiz.

2. Pinsapar of the Sierra de las Nieves

The Sierra de las Nieves is home to the largest population of Spanish firs in the Iberian Peninsula. It expands across 2,000 hectares spread across the municipalities of Parauta, Tolox, Ronda and Yunquera. In this Natural Park, which will soon be promoted to a National Park, the highest environmental classification, the Spanish firs are grouped together along the marked trails and roads.

One of the best examples of fir trees is Puerto Saucillo, in Yunquera, which flanks a circular and easy-to-travel path. If you take it easy, the journey can be covered in about 4 hours. You can start at the natural viewpoint of this port and then reach the highest peak in Malaga, Torrecilla.

You will enjoy the route much more if you do it accompanied by a local guide who explains everything you see, as in this one. activity in search of the Candelabro fir, one of the jewels of the Puerto Saucillo pine forest.

Another is the Escalereta fir, a Natural Monument that gives its name to a second, shorter circular route.

Higher up is the Puntal de la Mesa Spanish fir, also called “El Pulpo”. It is 300 years old and has the ailments of age, but it is still a majestic example of survival.

3. Other Spanish firs in the Serranía de Ronda

In addition to the three large populations described, in several municipalities of the Ronda mountain range there are small scattered patches of Spanish fir. The municipalities that are home to these old fir forests are Istán, Monda, Ojén and El Burgo.

Apart from Spanish firs, you can find other species, such as the Istán Chestnut, a unique tree, of which they say that King Ferdinand the Catholic himself celebrated a mass under its shade.

A route to visit the fir forests begins on the road that connects San Pedro de Alcántara with Ronda. You have to travel through the Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park in the direction of the Los Quejigales recreational area, located 15 kilometers from the exit.

The semicircular itinerary reaches the Cuerno canyon, where you find the first one. Afterwards, you tour the port of Los Pilones and Torrecilla. You have the option of returning along the same path or through the Cañada de las Ánimas, where you will pass through another ancient but impressive forest.

Don't miss this one fir route to continue getting to know the Spanish firs of the Sierra de las Nieves.

4. Pinsapar de los Reales de Sierra Bermeja

In Sierra Bermeja, just 15 kilometers from Estepona, is the third natural population of Spanish firs in Andalusia.

It is a less extensive pine forest, but more original because it stands on the largest outcrop of peridotite rock in the world. These rocks, reddish in color and magmatic in origin, give rise to the development of soils with the presence of heavy metals, which makes the development of plant species difficult.

It doesn't matter. As in Spain, according to Cela, he who resists wins.

The characteristics of the land mean that there is high exclusivity in this mountain range. These Spanish firs, along with other smaller ones dispersed in other parts of the Sierra Bermeja, especially Cerro Abantos, constitute the only populations on peridotite rocks.

Although small in size, this pine forest is perhaps one of the best known and visited by the public due to its proximity to the coast, since it was the first pine forest that Edmond Boissier, discoverer of the species for science, visited in 1837. To get there you have to access the MA-557 road to Pico de los Reales. Two kilometers later, a sharp curve begins the hour-long signposted trail, known as the “Spanish fir walk”, which crosses the forest in a circular route.

You can also follow the Los Realillos route that links with the previous one and reach the Salvador Guerrero Viewpoint, from where, on clear days, you can see the Rif and Gibraltar.

5. Pinsapar outside its natural distribution: Granada

It's tiny, but worth a visit.

It is a fir tree with just three dozen trees spread over half a hectare of land. Its planting was carried out experimentally in the 60s, within the Sierra de Huétor Natural Park, in the Umbría ravine.

© Nacho Nuñez, expositiononline.es

Currently this population is in a good state of conservation and is classified as a unique grove.

6. Pinsapar outside Andalusia: Orcajo

The most important pine forest outside Andalusia is located in the Aragonese municipality of Orcajo (Zaragoza).

It dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, when a fir plantation was successfully carried out in this town.

On the “Fuentes del Villar” mountain you will enjoy magnificent views, first of the Gallocanta Lagoon basin and then of the sunny areas of the Jiloca Valley, with its famous boulevards.

7. Pinsapar of Talassemtane National Park: Morocco

This pine forest, the largest and best preserved in the world, is part of the Mediterranean Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve.

You can access through Chefchaouen or Bab Taza. From Chefchaouen, a road adjacent to the Atlas Hotel connects with Azilane. The Spanish fir is the species that defines this route.

You know, the Spanish fir is not a sun and beach tree. You won't see him at beer hour near a beach bar or on a promenade while running mid-morning, but his garden is worth a visit.

Write to me if you have questions about where to find it.