| Village of Jimena de La Frontera
Jimena de la Frontera is a traditional Spanish hill village with rows of white painted houses lining very steep and narrow, cobbled streets. It lies within the province of Cadiz, in Andalucia. The village rises high into the clouds where at its peak stands a castle commanding views over the bay to Gibraltar and Algeciras. Although the castle is of Moorish construction, it has Roman origins. A Roman statue was discovered in the early 1900's when robbers were stealing stone. The statue was damaged but is now in the care of the council.
As well as a visit to the castle, you can't leave Jimena de La Frontera without trying some of the local gastronomic delights. Many of the dishes use the natural ingredients found in the surrounding forest, or from locally grown produce. Try local restaurants for; "Revuelto de esparragos" - asparagus in scrambled egg, and "Chantarella", a type of wild mushroom. For something sweet, the 'Piñonate' is a specialty in Jimena and is of Arabic origins. It is an artisan product of the surrounding Los Alcornocales Natural Park, whose recipe has been handed down through the ages. Ingredients include olive oil, honey, almonds, cinnamon and orange peel.
There is horse riding and cycling available in the village, swimming in the Hozgarganta river and a municipal pool in a beautiful setting open to the public in July and August. There is a well-stocked village supermarket, local shops, tapas bars and restaurants.
Alcornocales National Park
Los Alcornocales national park covers over 400,000 acres and extends from Tarifa in the south to the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park in the north. It is named after its beautiful cork tree forest, the largest in Spain and one of the most important in the world. There are many other types of trees also such as Wild Olive, Rhododendrons, White Poplar, miniature palm, Alder, Ash, Hazel and Gall Oak to name but a few. Heathers and Myrtle grow in abundance.
Its proximity to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, along with its height in the sierras has created a micro-climate where there is plenty of fresh water all year round. This provides a sub-tropical habitat, which is unique in Europe. Wildlife is strictly protected within the park and deer, wild boar and otter are all common. Los Alcornocales is also home to an impressive variety of birds of prey including, Booted eagles, Imperial eagles, and Griffon Vultures. Smaller birds of prey include peregrine falcons, kestrels and sparrow hawks.
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