The region consists of the municipalities of Archidona, Cuevas Bajas, Cuevas de San Marcos, Villanueva de Algaidas, Villanueva de Tapia, Villanueva del Rosario and Villanueva del Trabuco. This territory is located at the Northeastern extreme of the province of Málaga, bordering on La Axarquia in the South and Antequera region in the East, both of them within the province. The West border corresponds to the Poniente Granadino region, while in the North we find the Subbética Cordobesa.

This territory is located in full Cordillera Bética flanked by large sierras, the Subbética in the North and the Penibética in the South, with a complex transverse sierra, which makes possible communication between both mountain ranges. It is also pointed the plains in the  Surco Intrabético with special importance in Archidona and Salinas fertile plains..

As a landmark in its history, it is outstanding the Guadalhorce River (in the south) and the Genil River (in the North), which pass through these lands, being the Genil River recaptured in the Iznájar reservoir and having its headwaters in the township of Cuevas de San Marcos, constituting itselft as the largest reservoir in Andalusia with 900 hm3 of capacity.

The landscape of this territory is strongly marked by olive groves, making this land dependent on single crops extended to large areas. The most outstanding point of the landscape of this region could be its great diversity and its contrasts.We could through into relief the singularity of the geological formations in this area and the existence of natural areas of great interest. In order to give an exact detail, it should be noted the following protected areas:

• The Camorro fault at Cuevas de San Marcos (Subbética) declared  as natural monument.
• The Archidona pools (Surco Intrabético) declared as natural reserve.
• The Virgen de la Gracia hill in Archidona, declared as Periurban Park.
• The San José and Gorda Sierras in Villanueva del Trabuco hills and the Camarolos Sierras  in Villanueva del Rosario, all of them declared as locations of Community interest (LCI).

There are other spaces of great ecological interest, which do not currently count with protection by regional laws but by General Plans of local urban planning such as the Salinas holm-oak groove and  the Arroyo Marín gorge in Archidona and some riverside landscapes such as Genil river (Cuevas Bajas, Cuevas de San Marcos) and the Bebedero river (Villanueva de Algaida) or the Vaholgado holm-oak groove in  Villanueva de Tapia.

The geodiversity has also set up in the latest years as an element of great interest, not only scientific but also tourist. The region counts with large mountain formations, where synclinal and geosynclinal folds can be watched as well as flincks and the succession of orogenic layers. Besides of this, most of the center area of the terrirory is taken by what it is known as Antequera Trials, which are composed of the Triassic period materials, where clay, limestone, margo limestone and evaporitic stone abound, giving rise to such singular places as doline fields in Villanueva del Rosario  and Archidona  or "yesífero" Karst in Salinas.

Regarding the mountain areas, we could show up that the highest altitude areas are located at the Archidona sheer Sierras (around 1,000 m)  and the Penibética area with mountains of great interest as the Gibalto, Gorda, San Jorge, Jobo or Camarolos, being this last one where the highest point of the region and one of the highest in the province is located, the Chamizo peak.

Within this relief of great contrasts, there are interesting riverside places such  as the Genil and the Guadalhorce, but also others such as the Arroyo Marín gorge in Archidona, the birth of the Cerezo River in Villanueva del Rosario or the bank of the Bebedero river in Villanueva de Algaidas.

areas dominate the crops for local consumption, especially lower Archidona, Cuevas Bajas, caves of San Marcos and Villanueva del Rosario, while in Highland ripples the dominant landscape is the cultivation of olives, arriving to configure one of the most unique elements of the landscape of the region, marked also by the presence of forest island of Oaks and other species of the genus dominant "Quercus" in the Mediterranean vegetation, not forgetting other unique species like the Terebinth points.

Especially interesting is the holm oak forest that extends from the vicinity of the village of Salinas (Archidona). In more rugged areas, the dominant vegetation are the pine forest restocking (mainly pine) and black pine. While a population of pine autochthonous la Hoz Marín Creek area is remarkable.

This configures a predominantly rural area with a density of population about inhabitants per square kilometre in the whole region. A population dispersed, especially if you consider that between seven townships divided 22 districts or scattered rural, addition of the 7 municipalities own urban helmets.