de la serra d'espadà

English version Parc Natural de la Serra d'Espadà C/ Francisco Mondragón, 2 12528 (Castellón) Tel. 96 462 91 12 Móvil: 679 19 62 94 [email protected]

http://parquesnaturales.gva.es

Assistance from: Layout: Benjamín Albiach Galán Kun.Xusa Beltrán

Photography: Benjamín Albiach Galán Vicente Arnau Jose Miguel Aguilar Sisco Marco Jose Miguel Aguilar

Map Design: Pau Pérez Puigcerver Printing this material has been possible thanks to the Cooperation Agreement fuente: ICV (Instituto Cartográfico Valenciano) signed on 21st April 2006 by the Caja de Ahorros y Pensiones de Barcelona, "la Caixa" and the Generalitat Valenciana (Autonomous Community Authority) for Texts: Equipo de Educación Ambiental Undertaking the Integral Management Plan for Conservation of the Natural Systems of the ’s Network of Nature Reserves. Printed: IVADIS D. L.: Date of Nature Reserve declaration: 29th September 1998 Date of PORN approval: 30th July 1997 Date of PRUG approval: 11 March 2005

Municipalities inside the Reserve: Of the 19 municipalities connected, 11 have their municipal boundaries within the limits of the nature reserve (, Alcudia de Veo, Almedíjar, Azuébar, , Eslida, Fuentes de Ayódar, , Pavías, and ); while the other 8 (, , Artana, Ayódar, , Sueras, Tales and ), are only partially included.

The Serra d'Espadà Nature Reserve is located in the south of Castellón province, in the last foothills of the Iberian System, being one of the best kept natural spaces in the whole Valencian Community.

The “Sierra de Espadán” is a large mountain range with countless springs, cool ravines and shady cork oak woods, spreading over the counties of , and la , between the basins of the river Mijares and the Palancia.

The surface area classified as nature reserve takes up roughly 31,180 ha. This fact has made it the lar- gest extension of Protected Natural Space in the Valencian Community. B. Albiach Galán to 1.106matthe summitoftheRápita. ridges, risinginjustafewkilometres fromsealevel characterised bysharpcrestsand softerrounded Tectonic interestandgeomorphological modelling logical materialsandintheground; ithasgreat ment withalternatingacid-basecontent inthegeo- The “SierradeEspadán” isaTriassic mountainalign- · Geology the surroundingareas. generating arelativehumiditygreaterthanthatof of currentsdampairtowardsdeepzones,thus as toformabarriereffect,favouringthepenetration of theland(NW- SE),asthewindsarechannelledso mountain rangearedeterminedbyitsreliefandlie The weatherconditionsin“SierradeEspadán” · Climate Geology andclimate Nature reserve. whiter shadeofthelimerockssurrounding siliceous landformingtherange,asopposedto mations, stressingthepink-reddishcolourof natural multi-colouredbeautyofthegeologicalfor- outstanding landscapevaluestemmingfromthe All thesefeaturesgivethe“SierradeEspadán” the foldsandfaultsthatformthis. tance, withPalaeozoic materialsemergingthrough that therearealsolargeamountsofJurassicsubs- Triassic material,throughitsgreatcomplexitymeans There isamarkedprevalenceofinferiorandmid Panoramic viewfrom Espadán pe ak owl, thelong-eared owlandtheeagleowl. Some ofthenocturnalbirdsprey arethetawny short-toed eagle,thebootedeagle andthegoshawk. range andthewoodsprovideanideal habitatforthe endangered Bonelli'seagleinhabits themountain doubtlessly themostoutstandinggroup. Therareand As forthebirdlife,birdsofprey foundhereare lizard, theladdersnakeandMontpelliersnake. jewelled, eyedorocellatedlizard,thepsammodromus Reptiles arerepresentedbydiversespeciessuchasthe gation tanksandreservoirs. the Spanishribbednewt,withitshabitatinirri- terjack toad,butperhapsthemostinterestingoneis several speciessuchasthecommontoadornat- includes. Startingwiththeamphibians,youcanfind diverse landscapesandenvironmentsthatthis The faunafoundintheparkisresultof Fauna Tawny owl( Strix aluco )

B. Albiach Galán

M. Moya plant formations. medium havegivenrisetorecognition ofdifferent well asthefloralwealthandhuman actiononthe The climatic,geologicalandedaphic conditions,as Vegetation and inseriousdangerofextinction. species ofbats,somethesegreatimportance Finally weshouldmentionthatthereareabout20 the fox,beechmarten,genetandbadger. includes,amongstothers,theboard, The masto-fauna nuthatch, therobin,wryneck,chaffinch,etc. Other typicalbirdsinthisrangeofhillsarethejay, Lacertid lizard( Psammodromus algirus ) B. Albiach Galán Ferns ( ginesta desureda"( pericó desureda"( llunetes" (biscutellacalduchii)andotherssuchas"el "clavellet deroca"( endemisms suchasthe"bracera"( graphical interestamongstwhichthereareValencian The rangehasspeciesofgreatscientificorbio-geo- valencià", thehazelnut,sorbandstrawberrytree. holly, chestnut,maple, Valencian oakor"roure as thePyreneesoakor"rourereboll",teak, reon.There arealsotreesorbushesofinterestsuch Cystus: heather, juniperandMediterraneanmeze- or thicketsformedofdifferentspeciesthegenus Other speciesworthyofmentionarethematojares sharing limysoilswiththeholmoaks. those oftheAleppopine,whichwewillalsofind growing aciculasandpineconesoflargersizethan extracting resins.Italsohastheparticularfeatureof alone thereistheredpine,usedinancienttimesfor Mixed inwiththecorkoaks,orformingthickwoods nomic resourceforthemountainpeople. taken advantageof, itssturdy bark,cork,isaneco- which givesitgreatecologicalvalue.Whenproperly oak hasthepeculiarfeatureofstandinguptofire, the potentialvegetationinsiliceoussoils.Thecork formations intheValencian Community, represent The corkoakwoods,oneofthemostinteresting some endemismsthatcanonlybefoundhere. includes amongstitsmostrepresentativespecies This iswhytheplantlifeof“SierradeEspadán” Asplenium onopteris Cytisus villosus Hypericum androsaemum Minuartia valentina ) ). Centaurea aspera ), "l'herbade ) and"la ), B. Albiach Galán Cork Human resources tless dugoutsand trenches. still vouchfortheirpresenceinthe formofcoun- mentioned, theCarlistwaror Civilwar, which in allarmedconflicts;theArabuprisings, asalready defences madetheSierraastrategic vantagepoint Due totheparticularlieof land,itsnatural phic depression. sank intoanageofgreateconomicanddemogra- they weredefinitivelyexiledfromtherange,which emigration andrevolts.On11thSeptember1609 conversions ontheMoorishpopulationencouraged century thepressureofInquisitionandforced intended tosecuretheirsubmission.Inthe16th number oftreatieswiththemountaintowns When JaimeIbeganhisconquest,heestablisheda went asfarsuchdistantlandsAlgeria. prestigious Koran schoolwhoseinfluenceeven economic, commercialandculturalcentre,witha The “SierradeEspadán” constitutedanimportant ducts, leadingtoagreatincreaseinthepopulation. with itscanals,ponds,waterwheels,damsandaque- enjoyed agreatboomthankstotheirrigationsystem the range,andcattlemoreparticularlyfarming this timecastleswerebuiltinalmostallthetowns de Espadán” haditsmomentofgreatestsplendour. At Nevertheless, itwasintheArabagethat“Sierra mics, inscriptionsandbuildingsofdifferentkinds. and Iberianages,aswelltheremainsofRoman cera- the manyarchaeologicalsitesdatingbacktoBronze mankind sincetimesimmemorial,asisvouchedforby The “SierradeEspadán” hasbeen connectedwith · History: for itsqualitythanthevolumeproduced.. mean thatthemountainfarminghere standsoutmore sides ofthevalleys.Theorographic characteristics well asthecherriesgrownatbottom andonthe these istheolive,forexcellentquality oftheoil,as and otherfruittrees.Oneofthe most importantof The cropsfarmedarethecarob,almond,olive,cherry the rangearehoney, oil,cherries, water, etc... be madeintocorksandstoppers.Otherproductsof tion ofcorkoaksforextractingthisrawmaterialto natural resources,suchasforexampletheexploita- have concentratedonthetraditionalexploitationof activitiesofthezone Range. Thesocio-economic the differentlandscapesmakingup“Espadán” ties respectingtheenvironmentareallreflectedover The differentusesmadeoftheresourcesandactivi- · Resources Transportation ofcork

V. Arnau until the20thcentury. example ofthistradeistheCastro icehouse,used buted amongthetownsof Plana Baixa.One ice housesforobtainingice,which usedtobedistri- these stillremaintodaysuchasthe "pousdeneu"or exploited sinceancienttimesand somevestigesof The naturalresourcesofthe range havebeen doner", alsoknownasthe"llatonero". "gaiatos" fromthebranchesofhackberryor"lli- Another resourceisthemakingofhandlesor why thereareseveralbottlingfacilitiesinthereserve. consumption throughtheirlowlimecontent,whichis The waterspouringfromtherangeareidealforhuman such asroyaljelly, pollenorwax. provide, apartfromexcellenthoney, otherproducts zone, therebeingalargenumberofhiveswhich Apiculture isanotherwell-developedbusinessinthe Bee-keeping isaverywidespreadactivity in thearea

J. Aguilar boundaries. number ofspringsandbeauty spots withinits belongs toAltoPalancia countyandhasa large inhabitants, locatedatanaltitudeof410m.It Chóvar isavillageofAraborigin,withabout400 beautiful landscapesinthe“SierradeEspadán”. wonderful views:allofthisformsonethemost vegetation, includingthegiantferns,aswellsome colour contrastingwiththegreeneryofleafy wood, impressiverockygorges,withadeepred ravines, youcanenjoyawell-preservedcork-oak On thisroute,thatleadsalongtheAjuezandCarbón estimated distance:11,2km-drop:325m Route: Ajuez Ravine (Chóvar)

B. Albiach Galán 1 fairly seldomfound intheValencian Community. Espadán naturereserve, inspiteofthisbeingatree widespread woodsofcorkoaks intheSierrade warm, dampclimateallowsthe developmentof The presenceofreddishsandstone (rodeno)ina mountains. woodtowardsthe the ravineintocork-oak From thereservoirtakeapathrunningparallelto is ofgreatvalueforfauna. water, comingfromtheravinewithsamename, few dampzonesintheNatureReserve, andits along bytorrentialrains.Itisconsideredoneofthe from gettingcloggedupwiththesedimentdragged wall seeninfrontofthereservoirhaspreventedthis ning "communallandsusedforpasturing".Thesmall The nameofAjuezcomesfromanArabwordmea- Ajuez reservoir Ajuez reservoir B. Albiach Galán

B. Albiach Galán cork-oaks areverynumerous inthisarea cork-oaks to whatisknownasthe“Fuente Fresca” spring. in store-agullycoveredwithferns -whenyoucome The woodsloomingaroundushave anothersurprise exclusively foundinthe“Espadán” Range. krose, aromatic,climbingandendemic plantsalmost oaks, strawberrytrees,heather, laurustinus,roc- sides, withagreatvarietyofplantlifetosee:cork- narrower andthewoodsseemtoenveloponeonall hemmed in.Thepathbecomesnarrowerand increasingly beautifulastheygraduallygetmore After crossingtheravinerockygorgesbecome resource forthezone. craftsman-style removalmeansaneconomic tions, includingbeingmadeintoplugs,soits nerating itsbark-corkwithnumerousapplica- The corkoakistheonlytreethatcapableofrege- If youtakethegreenroutewillfindsuchbeau- tiful ravinesasthisone 2 mine gallery. easier stretches.Asmalldiversionwillletyouseea From thispointonthepathheadsuphill,withsome those whohaveliverailments. no lime,andarethushighlyappreciatedbyall red sandstonewatersemergingherearesoft,with tants ofChóvarandbythosewhovisitthis.The Fresca isoneofthespotsbestlovedbyinhabi- forth andforthesounditmakes.TheFuente happy orjovial,forthewaythisspringgurgles which itsname,"Fresca", stemsoriginallymeant even coveringthespringitself. Thetermfrom At thiscooldampspotthefernsreachgreatsizes, “Fuente Fresca” “Fuente Fresca” spring

B. Albiach Galán

B. Albiach 3 Cinabrium mines("Elsocavón"Gallery) range andtheAltoPalancia valley, youcometoaforest path whichwillgiveyougoodviewsoftheCalderona Heading backtothepreviousroute,onaconstantuphill the wagons,railsandsomeofauxiliarybuildings. in Chóvar(1966)andhereyoucanstillseetheremainsof The mineknownas"Elsocavón"wasthelastoneworked very dangerous. obtained. Today mostofthemareclosedduetobeing extraction ofcinabrium,fromwhichmercuryis are severalabandonedminesinthezonefor ginally knownastheEnebral(JuniperGrove).There from thelargenumbersofjunipertrees,asitwasori- plex knownastheHembrarmines,whichgetsitsname to thencomethemercurymines,miningcom- You continuetheroutecrossingalargestoneoutcrop cork oak( Quercus suber ) T.M. T.M. T.M. E: 1/140.000 Toga T.M. Fuentes de 0 2.000 4000 8.000 m Ayódar Pico Vago T.M. 834 T.M.Montan GR-36 A.R. El Cañar

Embalse Alto del Campo Morrones de Gil Ayódar del Sitjar 868 Riu Millars El Cubico Pico de la Rueda A.R. Sta. Bárbara r 897 lu A.R. Fte. Larga a m la Fuente Salud Torralba del Pinar il V CV-205

Higueras e d

CV-203

a

Pico Pinar l

T.M. Pavías 1101 b m Onda

A.R. Fuente Artea a CV-204

Villamalur R Alto del Pinar 1044 Artesa Alto de la Peñarroya Cueva Santa A.R. El Mesillo Sueras 898 de Nevera de Castillo de Mauz Carro Nevera de Tales A.R. Fuente Que Nace Cuatro Caminos Embalse de Benitandús Torre del Pilón A.R. El Montí Fte.de Castro Rambla Alto de Lorenza Matet 936 Benitandús T.M. Despoblado A. R. Betxí de Jinquer La Rápita San Pedro Mártir Pico Espinoso 1106 672 Peñas Aragonesas Veo Algimia de La Nevera T.M. Alcudia Almonacid Jérica La Alfándiga de Veo Pico el Villastre 602 A.R. La Calzada Aín CV-213 Vall de a CV-10 ---> Pico Espadan CV-223 Almonacid Castillo 1099 de Almonecir a n Embalse a rt Artana del Regajo Rambla A Pico Batalla d’ 973 Eslida Matuta A. R. Collado de Ibola Pozo Casicas

Nevera Puntal de R Almedíjar Nevera de ío de Aín l’Aljub 944 Castro

CV-215 A. R. A. R. Pico Bellota El Alcornoque Castillo de CV-200 Fte. Divina Pastora Pico Carrascal 956 Nevera Castro Pa 881 lancia 856 Chóvar Altura A. R. Las Carboneras Alfondeguilla

Segorbe CV-219 CV-234 A-23 Azuébar Peña Ajuera

Parc Natural de la CV-230 Serra Calderona La Vall Laguna de Soneja d’Uixó

road route: Ajuez Ravine (Chóvar) information centre snow well cave, chasm administrative limit route Almonecir Castle (Vall de Almonacid) geodesic vertex castle recreation area towns, buildings route Caritat ravine (Aín) peak route Bycicle route (Villamalur-Pavías-Matet) 4 to thereservoirwithsamename. gorge formedbytheAjuezRavine, untilgettingback complex, withwonderfulviewsfrom aboveofthe continues ontheright,crossing Hembrarmining route roughlyanhourlonger, butthemainitinerary the NeveradeCastroIceHouse,whichmakes From heretherouteofferspossibilityofvisiting Optional detourtotheIceHouse point forspottingforestfires. Puntal delAljub,948mhigh,whichactsasalookout way youwillseeapeakwithaerialsinstalledonit,the to therightuntilyougetfollowingstop.On war arehalf-hidden.Continueonalongtheforesttrack size atwhosebasetheremainsofatrenchfromcivil ofconsiderable track. Infrontofthisthereisacork-oak “Castro” icehouse

S. Marco 5 Ice house voir withthesamename. will findapathwhichtakesyoubacktothereser- the Ajuezravine.Atendofforesttrackyou you somewonderfulviewsofthegorgeformedby Hembrar miningcomplexandfromthetopgiving The mainroutecontinuestotheright,crossingEl a gooddealofourcoastline. rugged summit,standingoutinfrontofthesea,and Castro castleinAlfondeguilla,closelyhuggingthe After reachingtheicehouseyouwillseebefore wing thecreationofsoftdrinksandicecreams. transporting food,aswelljustforenjoyment,allo- as ithadmanyusesformedicinalpurposesand in these,tobesoldcoastalzonesthesummer, collected duringthewinterwasstoredandpressed cases datebacktothe18thcentury. Thesnow Ice housesorsnowpitsarebuildingswhichinmost 1 “Fuente Larga “ Around the village you will find a zone of irrigated farmland where there are large numbers of cherry and other fruit trees as well as the hackberry, tradi- tionally used for its hardness and flexibility in making walking sticks and handles for tools, an application still implemented in the Almonacid Valley. Its great ability to secure the land has meant that it is tradi- tionally located on the edges of terraces, where it does not take up space from other crops, and at the same time its large strong roots hold the earth at times of torrential rain. This tree is known by many names, some of these being: latonero, llatonero, allatonero, caicabero, ledoner and even gaiatonero.

Route Almonecir Castle 2 Pine wood at the access to the castle (Vall de Almonacid) Closer to the castle, the presence of limestone estimated distance: 5,8 km - drop: 140 m rocks means that you can see the typical Mediterranean pine spinney of Aleppo pines, with The route starts and ends in Vall de Almonacid. On such well-known bushes as the rosemary, the the route you will cross irrigated farmland and a kermes oak or gorse. large olive grove and visit the ruins of Almonecir Castle, one of the most important strongholds in To visit Almonecir castle, turn off to the left to then the “Sierra de Espadán” range. go back to this same point.

In the Alto Palancia County, at an altitude of 441 3 Almonecir Castle metres, there is a village of Arab origin which has This originally Moslem citadel dating back to the almost 300 inhabitants and is known as Vall de 12th-13th century was actually a fortified monastery Almonacid. It has a large historic and natural heri- or ribat, inhabited by a community of Moslem tage both in its urban centre and in outlying areas. warrior monks, the muràbitin and known as al- When going through the town you can see the Casa munastir, a name stemming from the Latin monas- Palacio, the Parish Church and the Casa Abadía, an terium, which as time has gone by has developed architectural ensemble of great interest. into Almonecir and more recently to Almonacid. B. Albiach Galán Alfándiga toweronitsleftbank. Valley, whereyoucanseetheremainsof right youwillseetheextensionofAlmonacid mountaintop intheNatureReserve, andonthe Rápita peak,whichwithits1,106m,isthehighest At thefeetofvillageAlgimia,thereis background theprofileofmountainrange. ravine orChicoriverwithcropsofcanes,andinthe market gardensofbothvillages,theRambla deAlgimia in thislandscapeistakenbytheolivegroves, Almonacid andVall deAlmonacid.Aprominentplace Almonacid valley, withthetwovillagesofAlgimiade At thispointyoucanenjoyanexcellentviewofthe and remainsofthedefensivewall. over 18m.inheight,aswelltherestoredcistern you canfindhereistheimpressivekeep,withwalls One ofthemostimportantpartsruinsthat back tothestartingpoint:Vall deAlmonacid. When youreachtheChicoriverbedshouldhead great natureandlandscapevalueofthislittlevillage. zones whichenticethevisitortosimplyenjoy In itsmunicipalareayouwillfindleisureorpicnic streets ithasaparishchurchwellworthvisit. hackberry walkingsticks.Amongstitswinding culture andcrafts,especiallythemanufactureof tants. Ithasaneconomybasedonagriculture,api- an altitudeof486m,whichhasunder300inhabi- a villagewithAraboriginsinAltoPalancia countyat You goclosebythevillageofAlgimiadeAlmonacid, de Espadán” variety. the greatqualityofoilobtainedfrom“Sierra slopes. Thistreeisstillanimportantassetthanksto fields atthebottomofvalleyandevenonsteep Almonacid alongdifferentpathsthroughlargeolive The routedropsdowntowardsAlgimiade Almonecir castle chapel, goingthrough theCaritatravinetowards The routestartsat theCalvary, withan18thcentury and plants. along itscobbledstreets,decorated withflowers its coolspringsarethedelight of allwhostroll washhouse, itspainstakinglycared forCalvaryand “Espadán” villages.Itswhitehouses,itstraditional ment respectingthetypicalappearanceof means springinArab)andcarefulurbandevelop- marked Araborigin,asitsnameindicates(Aín Aín isasmallhamletof170inhabitants,with the signsofanancestralasset:cork. someofgreatsize,whichshow wood ofcork-oaks, tion (ash,willows,poplars,etc.),apartfromaleafy observing anexcellentexampleofriverbankvegeta- On therouteyouwillenjoycharmofAín, estimated distance:3km-drop:140m Route Caritat ravine (Aín)

B. Albiach Galán 1 tree wherethepathforks. Going onalongthepathyouwill come toawalnut waters usedtoflow. duct withanancientcanalalongwhich theirrigation the ancientstonesusedinmill and anarch-aque- restored assummerhouses.Outsideyoucansee village. Theyareingoodconditiontoday, tastefully craftsman workdonebytheinhabitantsofthis ravine, thesemillsbearwitnesstothehard architecture. DrivenbythewaterfromCaritat Flour millsarearealbastionoftheEspadán'srural L'Arc orL'Arquetmill ancestral asset:cork. some ofgreatsize,whichshowthesignsan poplars, etc.)apartfromaleafywoodofcork-oaks, example ofriverbankvegetation(ashtrees,willows, Castle ofAín.Onthewayyouwillseeanexcellent Aín 3 2 along shortroute paths. Espadán”, orheadtowardsthetownofAlmedíjar, now goes.From this hillyoucanalsogoupthe“Pico Palancia, overwhichtheCV-200 (Aín-Almedíjar) road between twocounties:LaPlana BaixaandAlto goes uptoLaIbolahill,animportant naturalborder and white)shortdistanceroute (yellowandwhite) The forktotherightindicatedasalocalpath(green of thecastleruins. a furthercrossroads:taketheoneonleftatfeet Going onalongthepathmarkedoutyouwillcometo Castle ofAín straight on,tothencomebackthissamepoint. from VilavellatoMontanejos.To visitthecastleofAíngo (red andwhite)whichcrossesthewholeNaturereserve are severalsignsfortracks,oneofthesebeingtheGR36 At thefootofthiswalnuttreebesidesacrossroadsthere Walnut tree (crossroads) at thefeetofAín. so laboriouslyfashioned toFontdeSanAmbrósspring, cement ruralroaddropsdownbetween theterraces fork untilyoucomeoutinfrontof thevillage,wherea When theforesttrackdividesinto two,taketheupper along withthesemajestictrees. its differenthuesandthetypicalvegetation whichgoes wood whichopensupbesidethepath,showingoffall the track,headforAín.You will enjoythecorkoak is signpostedaspartoftheG.R.36.Whenyougetto take thepaththatclimbsuptoaforesttrackandwhich After visitingthecastle,gobacktowalnuttreeand rate fromthefortifiedarea. are theremainsofkeepandawatchtowersepa- range. Someparticularlyinterestingpartsoftheruins by therebelMoriscosin“Espadán” mountain cally oneofthemostimportantcentresresistance hillock inthemiddleofCaritatravine,washistori- The castleofAín(12thcentury),locatedonasmall Aín castle

V. Arnau surroundings, getting an overall view of the whole Nature Reserve. The route starts in the leisure or picnic area (where there is a refuge, a spring, tables and barbecue area) of the Villamalur Ravine, from which you can see the village of Villamalur .

Soon after taking the asphalt road towards Pavías, you will come to the Fuente del Churrillo spring, beside a large holly tree vouching for the botanical wealth of this area. You go along by ancient cork- oaks whose very size means you cannot leave them unnoticed as you pass by.

After completing the hardest part of your route you will come to an earthen track which leads off to the left towards Perrudo ravine.

1 Detour to the Perrudo ravine (access to the Artea Spring rest zone) The route continues along the earth track on the left, but from this point you can reach a rest area, the Artea spring, where there are tables and bar- Route Bycicle route becue facilities. The panoramic view is marvellous, (Villamalur-Pavías-Matet) with the rugged profile of the mountain range with estimated distance: 23,5 km - drop: 320 m its main peaks, the Rápita (1,106 m) and the “Pico Espadán” (1,083 m). On the bicycle route around the “Sierra de Espadán” Nature reserve you can see one of the There is also an option to visit the hamlet of Pavías, best preserved cork-oak groves in the Nature going on along the asphalt road until you come to Reserve, zones of mixed woods (Mediterranean a little hill where there is a pool, and once there pine and cork oak) pine groves with thickets of you can turn off to the left along road CV-203 mainly giant ferns, ravines with rich riverbank vege- towards Pavías. tation, some types of tree that are seldom found elsewhere in our community and of course the In Alto Palancia county at an altitude of 738 m above farmland proper to the zone. sea level, a population of 60 live in Pavías, a hamlet with Arab origins. To get to know Pavías and enjoy Apart from the vegetation, this route gives an inte- its peace and quiet, what better than a visit to the resting sample of our heritage, as you can see Ethnological Museum of Customs and Practice, built ancient ice houses, castles and fortresses, a up from its inhabitants' contributions, and strolling deserted area and the typical architecture of the around its streets so full of history. towns in this zone, with a marked Arab nature. On the route you will go by the main peaks and find spots allowing wonderful views of the Range and its G.B. 2 tude of579m,still containstheremainsofan11th This villageinAltoPalancia county, locatedatanalti- going on1.5kmalongtheasphalt roadtotheright. There isalsoachancetovisitthe villageofMatet, (where therearetablesandabarbecue area). towards Matet,knownasthe"Fuente QueNace" is anoptiontogoarestarea400m.away The routeproposedcontinuestotheleft,butthere (access tothe“Fuente QueNace”restzone) Matet-Villamalur detour the right,andVillamaluronyourleft. asphalted roadwhichlinksthevillagesofMatet,on the naturalwealthofthisarea.Thetrackendsinan countryside aroundtheNatureReserve, aswell Perrudo Ravine, youwillhavelovelyviewsofthe After crossingthepathwhichleadsdown back towardsVillamalurravine. starts, veryclosetotheonethat you took,leading From thevillage itself anasphaltedforesttrack cherries grownthere. value, aswellsuchimportantcropsthefamous woods ofgreatbeautyandconsiderablebotanical the sizeofitscastle.Ithasravinesandextensive things aboutthishamletofalmost150inhabitantsis the path.InVillamalur, oneofthemostimpressive fern undergrowthaccompanyingyoualongbeside andpines,withlovely mixed woodofcork-oaks Heading backtowardsVillamalur, youwillseea part ofthevillagecentre. century Arabtower, "ElPilón",themostprominent Matet, toppedoffbyitstower and fortresses,suchasAlmonecir castleinVall de Close bythemyoucanfindtheruins oftheircastles structure andstyleofthe“Sierra de Espadán” area. Its villagesofmarkedArabtraitskeep thetraditional and foritsgoodstateofpreservation. Espadán” NatureReserve, bothforitssingularity representative ecosystemofthe“Sierrade cork oakisdoubtlesslythetreeformingmost cularities suchassmallchestnutspinneys,butthe green oaksandAleppopinesinterestingparti- zones, thetypicalMediterraneanwoodofever- here: maritimepinecopses,riversidewoods,rural diversity asregardstheecosystemsrepresented cultural interest.Thevisitorcanenjoyagooddealof The NatureReserve hasgreatnatural, historicand Places ofinterest “Vall deAlmonacid”fromthecastle

B. Albiach Galán surrounded byawell-keptnaturalsetting. beautiful landscapesandnumerousleisureareas, small reservoirs(AjuezinChóvarandBenitandús), Apart fromallthisthe“SierradeEspadán” hastwo de Almonacid. accessible one,betweenAlcudiadeVeo andAlgimia Villamalur orthe“Espadán” snowstore,themost the CarropitinMatet,CuatroCaminos turies agotherearetheCastropitinAlfondeguilla, or snowstoressohighlyvaluedjustacoupleofcen- the DominicostowerinAyódar. Amongtheice-pits Matet, AlfándigatowerinAlgimiadeAlmonacidor Azuébar, AínorArtanacastles;Pilóntowerin Almonacid, MauzcastleinSueras,Tales, Alcudia, olive oil. craftsman productssuchashoney, royaljellyorpure Neither shouldweforgetthecherriesandtypical sponge cakes. gons, rotllosd'anís,"mantecao"almondpastriesand orelletes ambmel,mostillo,cocaescudellà,rose- the pastissos,tortascristinas,pastissetsdemoniato, As forthesweetsandbiscuits,weshouldmention jarra doneinearthenware. black sausageandriceporkorzaorfriturade with snails,ricestew, asortofporridge,tripe,onion the breadcrumbbun,potagesand"guisaos",rabbit Some typicaldishesofthezoneare:villagestew, Cuisine Accesses

There are several different access routes: - From Onda, after passing Artesa, by Tales. - From the CV-10 going through Villavieja, heading towards Betxí, you will find a turnoff on the left heading towards Artana, Eslida and Aín. - From Vall d'Uixó by the C-230, or through Villa- vieja (CV-10) towards Artana and Eslida. - Leaving the A-23 where it goes by Soneja, access is by the CV-230. - From the A-23 where it goes by , access is by taking the CV-200 or the CV-215. - From the A-23 at the Navajas exit and going through Gaibiel (CV-213), you come to Matet. - From the A-23 in Jérica, crossing Caudiel (CV- 203), by Higueras, Pavías and Torralba.

Rules

Do not leave the marked Dogs must be on a paths to take short cuts leash

No picking flowers and Do not bother or catch plants any animals

Do not drop litter in the No camping in the reserve. Use the litter bins nature reserve

No smoking in the It is strictly forbidden to nature reserve light fires Prohibited to circulate vehi- Please do not make cles of engine for the tracks noise