The Chaparro de la Vega is a centennial oak of great size, declared a Natural Monument of Andalusia in 2001 and located in the municipality of Coripe, in the Sierra Sur of Seville. It is a specimen of Quercus ilex subsp. ballota, with a very large crown and isolated appearance, which has become a landscape landmark of the Guadalporcún valley. The institutional sources place it in a grassy and mountainous environment, with gentle hills and limestone hills in the background. From the point of visit, the scale of the tree can be appreciated above all: its thick trunk, the sunny crown and the contrast with the agricultural plain and the nearby riparian vegetation. It is a simple place to understand visually, because the chaparro concentrates in a single specimen the traditional landscape of the region and the historical relationship between human use of the forest and the conservation of unique trees. In addition to its botanical and landscape value, the tree is closely linked to local life and to activities of coexistence and environmental education. The tourist documentation of the province and the municipality presents it as a landmark of Coripe and as the scene of the pilgrimage of the Virgin of Fatima in mid-May. The visit is more pleasant with soft light, especially in the morning or late afternoon, when the shade of the tree and the relief of the environment are better read. In spring the place is usually greener and the walk along the Vía Verde de la Sierra and the valley of the Guadalporcún is more comfortable.
