This reserve is located in the province of Salamanca in its southeastern part bordering the provinces of Avila and Cáceres. It was officially declared in October 2006, and comprises 88 municipalities, with a surface area of almost 200,000 hectares and 43,000 inhabitants. It is managed by ASAM (Asociación Salmantina de Agricultura de Montaña).

It includes the Natural Park of Batuecas-Sierra de Francia, the Natural Area of Quilamas-Candelario, 8 SCIs, 5 SPAs and the National Hunting Reserve of Las Batuecas.

The diversity of habitats is evident, with oak and holm oak forests and the holm oak pastures that dot most of the hectares of the reserve. Alongside these more common forest formations we find other unique ones such as strawberry trees, holly trees and Quercus robur oak groves.

Furthermore, within the Reserve there are 34 declared Sites of Cultural Interest: Palaeolithic ruins, cave art, Roman mining and the Vía de la Plata road. In addition, eight municipalities have been recognised as Historic-Artistic Sites.

In order to favour the orderly access of tourists and local population to the Biosphere Reserve, the surroundings are completed with infrastructures, facilities and other means. Thus, there are more than 450 km declared as a Grand Tour, all of them signposted and with interpretative signs along the way plus two Interpretation Centres: House of the Batuecas-Sierra de Francia Natural Park in La Alberca and the Biosphere Reserve Interpretation Centre in the San Martín del Castañar Castle.