The Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche area is situated in the west of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia. The western extreme of the Sierra Morena, it stretches across the whole of the north of the province of Huelva, bordering those of Seville and Badajoz to the east and north, with the Alentejo region of Portugal lying to the west.
The area is home to the following municipalities: Alajar, Almonaster la Real, Aracena, Aroche, Arroyomolinos de Leon, Cala, Cañaveral de Leon, Castaño del Robledo, Corteconcepcion, Cortegana, Cortelazor, Cumbres de Enmedio, Cumbres de San Bartolome, Cumbres Mayores, Encinasola, Fuenteheridos, Galaroza, Higuera de la Sierra, Hinijales, Jabugo, Linares de la Sierra, Los Marines, La Nava, Puerto Moral, Rosal de la Frontera, Santa Ana la Real, Santa Olalla del Cala, Valdelarco and Zufre.
The Aracena area boasts two typical local varieties of cheese, “Aracena goat’s cheese” and “Montes de San Benito sheep’s cheese”. As the area lies within the boundaries of a Natural Park, ecological cattle rearing is becoming more important, and so, consequently, is environmentally-friendly cheesemaking. A total of four cheesemaking industries thrive here, three of the artisan variety and one of a more industrial nature.
The economy of the area depends directly on the exploitation of natural resources, notably Iberian pig farming on the pastures and the cork sector. Industrial activity is of an eminently artisan nature, consisting primarily of companies manufacturing Iberian pork products and, to a lesser degree, those involved in cork processing, olive oil production and products made from chestnuts.
Recent years have seen the appearance of a number of artisan cheese factories which use traditional methods of transforming goat’s milk to produce a top-quality mature cheese. These small companies have chosen to professionalise a practice that has traditionally been carried out in conjunction with pasture farming in the Sierra.
As far as the service sector is concerned, special mention must be made of the growing importance of rural tourism, particularly in the central area of the Sierra near the N-433 road from Seville to Lisbon.

The Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche is rich in natural and cultural heritage, the result of a long human presence in the area and of the close relationship established between man and the land over the years. The area’s natural charms are complemented by a rich cultural, ethnographic, architectural and historical-artistic legacy, not to mention delicious traditional cuisine.
The local flora is characterised by the presence of Mediterranean forests throughout the area. Also worthy of note is the gallery forest that accompanies the main rivers, some stretches of which are extremely well conserved. Mention should also be made of the abundance of chestnut trees to be found growing in the shadier climes at the heart of the region, where the highest altitudes, heaviest rainfall and lowest temperatures prevail. The area’s fauna, like its vegetation, is also characterised by a high degree of conservation.

Most of the region enjoys Protected Natural Space status, the highlight being Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche Natural Park, which accounts for two thirds of the whole area and is home to 28 of its 29 municipalities. The western zone is also home to two nature spots, Las Peñas de Aroche and Sierra Pelada y Ribera del Aserrador.