Hayedo de Tejera Negra, Protected beech forest in Guadalajara Province, Spain.
Hayedo de Tejera Negra is a protected beech forest in Guadalajara Province, growing where the Lillas and Zarzas rivers come together. Beech trees make up most of the woodland, while yews, hollies, and birches appear in the wetter and shadier corners.
The area was recognized as a national natural site in 1974 and became a Natural Park in 1978. Over the following decade, its boundaries were extended to bring more of the surrounding woodland under protection.
The name Tejera Negra refers to a dark valley where yew trees grow, and locals have long used this kind of direct, nature-based naming for the land around them. Walking through the valley, you can see why the dark canopy made such an impression on the people who named it.
Parking must be reserved in advance through the official website, as space is limited and fills up quickly, especially on weekends. Several marked trails of different lengths leave from the Interpretation Center, so it is easy to choose one that matches your pace.
This forest is one of the southernmost beech formations in Europe, which is unusual for a tree that typically grows much farther north. Its survival here depends on a particular combination of soil, shelter, and local moisture that developed after the last ice age.
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