The Rut In Grazalema

Experience The Most Talked About Event On The Mountain: The Rutting Deer of Grazalema

As the returning rains herald the end of summer and imminent arrival of Autumn, the fields of the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park begin to sprout green once again and with that comes one of nature’s great spectacles – the rut. This ritual surrounds the mating of local deer, which takes form in shocking bellows from the animal, known as the venados in the province of Cadiz, as they try to attract females and repel other males of the species.

Female deer come into heat when they detect the green blanket beginning to cover the mountain, showing them that there will be enough food for rearing fawns born in the spring. Males, which have grown antlers since the spring, prepare to fight ‘horn to horn’ with their competitors to attract as many females as possible in hopes of expanding the species in their own ‘harem’.

Experience Something Different

The Rut In Grazalema

The Rut In Grazalema

The fight commences and the forests of the park fill with the exciting howls and sounds of the clashing antlers at sunset. Its echo can be heard from many kilometres away. Drawn by the spectacle, many visitors travel to the area each September to experience the curious event in the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. Some visitors are surprised at first to see the impressive greyish- red deer, weighing more than a 100 kilos.

This is why this year the park has organized sessions to allow guests to observe this special ritual. The next meeting will take place in Cortes de la Frontera on the 28th of September. The guided route will depart from the town’s Visitor Centre at 19:00 and will last four hours, during which time attendee will tour by foot around the Port of Líbar and Cortes El Viejo until 23:00h. Guests will witness pure nature, fantastic views under the stars at night, and the eerie silence broken only by the ‘ singing ‘ that accompanies that once a year event where the deer follow their instincts. This is surely an experience that no one will forget!

Recommendations for the rutting path:

• Bring hiking clothes with discrete colours and some form of a jacket.

• Avoid the use of perfumes.

• Wear shoes that fit

• Bring a flashlight and binoculars.

Useful Information

  • Date: September 28, 2013
  • Departure Location: Visitor Centre in Cortes de la Frontera, Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park
  • Duration: 4 hours
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Target Audience: Over 8 years old
  • Price: € 9.60 / person
  • For more information and reservations: Call (34) 902 525 100/(34) 956 709 733 or via email [email protected]

Accommodation: Hotel Fuerte Grazalema


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Fuerte Group Hotels
​Avda. Severo Ochoa 28, 9º A
29603 Marbella. Málaga.

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