Cabañeros National Park (in Spanish: Parque Nacional de Cabañeros) is a national park located in the Montes de Toledo region of Spain. It is found in two provinces: the northwest part of Ciudad Real and the southwest part of Toledo.

The park was established in 1995 and covers an area of 390 square kilometers (150 square miles). It is situated between the Estena and Bullaque rivers and includes parts of the Chorito and Miraflores mountain ranges.

It is the largest and best-preserved area of Iberian Mediterranean forest, home to many different types of plants. The park also contains geological sites from the Paleozoic era, including areas known as Cámbrico y Ordovícico del Parque Nacional de Cabañeros.

The antipodes of the park are located in Tongariro National Park in New Zealand.

Fauna

The park has a wide range of animals, including 276 types of vertebrates, many of which are endangered. Mammals in the park include otters living in the Estena River and four kinds of hoofed animals: wild boar, red deer, roe deer, and fallow deer in the forested areas.

The park may be a home for the Iberian lynx, a feline species that is critically endangered. However, lynx have been seen only sometimes in recent years, possibly because there are not enough rabbits, which are their main food source. The Toledo Mountains have been used to help bring lynx back to the area as part of a LIFE project.

The park is a protected area for birds and is home to these important species:

• Black stork (not in danger, but not common)
• Eurasian black vulture (close to being threatened), with one of the largest breeding groups
• Spanish imperial eagle (in danger of disappearing)

Geology

In addition to its animals and plants, Cabañeros has a special resource: its rocks and soil. In towns like Navas de Estena, visitors can see fossils that are more than 400 million years old, from the Ordovician period, when this area was covered by sea.

Recently, scientists found fossilized remains of the oldest giant worm discovered so far in the area called Boquerón de Estena.

The main types of rock in the region are quartzite, and to a smaller degree, slate. Some rock formations in the park are recognized as a "Global Geosite" by the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain. These formations are named "PZ004: Cambrian and Ordovician of the Cabañeros National Park" and are part of a group of geological areas called "Lower and Middle Paleozoic Stratigraphic Series."

Conservation issues

The national park works to create tourism that helps protect the environment and supports local communities.

Although hunting is not allowed in Cabañeros, like in other Spanish national parks, some hunting has been permitted to manage animal populations. This is done for reasons other than sport.