The Escaleretas Spanish Fir Natural Monument is placed in the Natural Park Sierra de las Nieves in Parauta, and its dimensions are rather impressive. More precisely, it lies at the foot of the area with Spanish firs Alcojona Hill, next to Las Lajas, a way that used to connect the plains of the Verde River with Ronda and the Genal Valley. The tree was named Escaleratas [Stairway] after the chalky layers in the shape of a staircase.

It belongs to the family of firs, and it is a real botanical gem as it existed in this area 20 million years ago, when the climate was much cooler and wetter. Special weather conditions in the Serrania de Ronda and Grazalema, where rains a lot and there is plenty of shade, were the reason why these species have survived only in this part of Andalusia.

In the mountain range Sierra de las Nieves, Spanish firs are more widespread than in the rest of the area and they are the best-preserved as well. The most interesting is the Spanish fir called the Escaleratas because it is very large as it is as tall as the five-floor building with the trunk that is 5.10 m of a circumference and 1.62 m of a diameter. We could say that five people are necessary to circle it with their arms widespread. It is between 350 and 550 years old, though this data might not be absolutely accurate. It has witnessed the Christian conquest and the presence of the bandits.

No doubt, it has suffered a lot of setbacks. It could have been cut and turned into coal, be affected by a plague or destroyed in a fire, by a lightning or humans. Instead of all that, it has lived for centuries and witnessed many historical events.

Natural Monuments

Natural Monuments are places or parts of nature which are considered to be significantly unique, rare or beautiful, and therefore are to be protected.

Natural monuments can also be geological formations, palaeontological sites and other geological structures that are of special interest for science, culture or landscape. They can be geological, biotic, geographical, eco-cultural and mixed according to the criteria presented in Article 4 of the Government Decree 225/1999 with regulations regarding the arrangement and management of each of them.

The Council of the Regional Government of Andalusia has authority to establish certain spot or part of nature as a Natural Monument.