Cabañeros National Park is a large protected area in the Montes de Toledo, between Ciudad Real and Toledo, declared a national park in 1995. Its landscape combines rañas, dehesas and well-preserved Mediterranean scrubland, with mountain ranges and ravines where Ordovician fossils appear and a remarkable variety of habitats. It is one of the best examples of the Spanish Mediterranean scrubland and is part of the Natura 2000 Network as a SPA and SCI. For the visitor, the most interesting thing is the mixture of open horizons and masses of forest: holm oak, cork oak, jarales and patches of riparian forest. These areas are home to emblematic species such as the Iberian lynx, the Iberian imperial eagle, the black vulture and large populations of deer. The reading of the landscape is especially clear from the areas of raña and from the viewpoints of the authorized routes, where the contrast between plains, mountains and hills can be appreciated. The area is mentioned in institutional guides and official maps, and has information centers and regulated routes for pedestrians and off-road vehicles. The best time to visit is usually spring and autumn, when the light and wildlife activity are more favorable; in summer the heat can be intense and conditions the routes. If you are looking for a first visit, it is best to focus on authorized routes from the park's access points, because much of the interior has regulated use to conserve wildlife and landscape.
