Cabañeros National Park, National park in Montes de Toledo, Spain.
Cabañeros sits between Toledo and Ciudad Real provinces, protecting over 40,000 hectares of Mediterranean forest with oak woodlands, mountains, and open meadows. The landscape shifts between dense tree cover and wide plains surrounded by rolling hills.
The area belonged to Toledo from the 13th to the 19th century, and archaeological finds date back to the Lower Paleolithic. Protection status came in the late 20th century after plans for a military site were rejected.
The name comes from the simple huts that shepherds and charcoal burners built here while working in these woodlands. Visitors today can still find traces of these basic shelters, showing how people once made a living in this remote area.
Sixteen marked trails lead through different areas, and guided tours in four-wheel-drive vehicles allow access to more distant parts. Early morning or late afternoon works best for watching animals and birds.
Fossils from over 400 million years ago show that these mountains once lay beneath the sea. Geologists find remains from the Ordovician period here, when marine creatures populated these rocks.
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