In the south of the province of Salamanca (Castilla y León), bordering the Hurdes of Cáceres and situated in the western part of the Central System, is the natural area of Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia. This is an area that extends over 32,300 hectares with a rugged relief in which the Peña de Francia and some surrounding fields stand out.

The dominant vegetation is more or less degraded broadleaf forest although some good representations are still preserved. In these forests, species such as Pyrenean oak, chestnut, oak, cork oak and holm oak can be found. In the bottoms of the valleys and ravines facing south and east, there are pieces of Mediterranean cork oak and holm oak forest that are mixed with strawberry tree, holly, mastic, yew and some sporadic oak. In this area there are many artificial plantations of Scots pine in the higher parts and black pine in the southeastern sector.

With regard to the fauna, it is worth noting the presence of the mountain goat and the Iberian lynx, endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and in danger of extinction. Other mammals are also frequent, such as the otter, Iberian desman and three species of bats: Greater horseshoe bat, Lesser horseshoe bat and Bent-winged bat.