Sierra Escalona

Inland from the resorts, Sierra Escalona is the largest woodland of the Vega Baja, a swathe of Mediterranean pine forest and scrub laced with walking trails and viewpoints. It was declared a protected landscape in 2018 and is a designated bird-protection area of around 10,400 hectares.

It holds one of the densest eagle-owl populations in Europe, and the signposted Mirador de Los Alcores near San Miguel de Salinas is the easiest way in, with guided walks explaining the wildlife.