Maranchón Juniper Forest: the largest Spanish juniper woodland in Europe

A forest of Spanish junipers

Between the high plains of northern Guadalajara and those of Soria spreads, with few interruptions, the largest Spanish juniper woodland in Europe. It extends from Arcos de Jalón in Soria down to Maranchón, passing through Sagides, Chaorna, Judes, Iruecha, Codes, and Mochales. In more open stands it continues across Campo Taranz and into the Alto Tajo.

The tree

The Spanish juniper (Juniperus thurifera) is an extremely slow-growing evergreen tree with scaled foliage, capable of enduring severe frosts and prolonged summer droughts. It grows almost exclusively on the Iberian Peninsula, with small relict outposts in the French Alps and Morocco. Its timber is hard, aromatic, and virtually rot-proof: it provided the central pillars of traditional chozones and remains prized by cabinetmakers.

A pastoral landscape

Many junipers show pruned crowns from centuries of pollarding, when branches were lopped to feed livestock during snows. The woodland borders the protected high plains and shares much of its steppe fauna.