De La Serra De Mariola

de la serra de mariola English version Parc Natural de la Serra de Mariola serra_mariola@gva.es Mas dUll de Canals Ctra. Alcoi-Banyeres, km 17.5 Apartado de correos 157 13450 Banyeres de Mariola (Alacant) Tel. 965 56 63 83 http://parquesnaturales.gva.es Assistance from: Layout: Benjamín Albiach Galán Kun.Xusa Beltrán Photography: Benjamín Albiach Galán Núria Lara Bernàcer Miquel Vives i Miralles G. B. Map Design: Pau Pérez Puigcerver source: ICV (Cartographic Institute of Valencia) Printing this material has been possible thanks to the Cooperation Agreement signed on 21st April 2006 by the Caja de Ahorros y Pensiones de Barcelona, "la Caixa" Texts: Environmental educacion team and the Generalitat Valenciana (Autonomous Community Authority) for Undertaking the Integral Management Plan for Conservation of the Natural Systems of the Printed: Centro Especial de Empleo, IVADIS Valencian Communitys Network of Nature Reserves. Legal Deposit: Date of PORN approval: 2nd April 2001 Date on which it was declared a Nature Reserve: 8th gener 2002 Municipalities inside the Reserve: Shared by Agres (723 m), Alcoy (560 m), Alfafara (582 m), Banyeres de Mariola (816 m), Bocairent (641 m), Cocentaina (435 m) and Muro d'Alcoy (399 m), it has a rugged relief and major contour differences, above all to the NE (Montcabrer, 1390 m). The Sierra de Mariola mountain range, whose area of over 16,000 hectares was declared a nature reserve on 8th January 2002, spreads over the Vall d'Albaida, l'Alcoià and El Comtat counties, and is one of the most well-established reserves in Valencian popular culture. Some prominent features of the area are the many springs, country houses and a criss-crossing paths all over it, which vouch for all the hard work done taking advantage of the natural resources by its former settlers - ice-dealers, shepherds, woodcutters and others - who made their living from this land. These are all reasons why the Sierra de Mariola, a real natural paradise in which there is a wealth of floral species unequalled in the whole Valencian Region, has become something that the local people fully identify themselves with and a major land- mark whose attractions continue to appeal to generations of hikers and day-trippers. Human heritage Countless archaeological findings bear witness to man’s presence in the range since times immemorial, mainly to the SE and in the proxim- ity of Vinalopó, with numerous paintings and remains of mainly Neolithic, Bronze age and Iberian settlements. An unquestionable symbol of these areas are the cavas (snow well) – cellars or vaults used from the 16th to the 20th centuries for storing snow, trans- forming this into ice by compacting it and then selling it in summer; transporting this to nearby counties for use in preserving food, making ice- creams or for therapeutic purposes. Other characteristic features of the human influence on this landscape are the masías - self- sufficient country farmsteads, farming and forestry units generally run by a single family, based on cultivating unirrigated land and stock- breeding. There are also defensive buildings - castles, spread over the peaks of the range, and religious buildings - chapels. Cava Arquejada and the Montcabrer peak B. Albiach Galán Geology Climate In this huge limestone mass, which originated in Mariola enjoys a typically Mediterranean climate, the Cretaceous age, when the zone coincided with a fairly large range of microclimates, and with the edge of a sedimentary marine basin, major differences depending on the direction the there are major palaeontological sites such as land faces and its altitude. the one in Querola, as well as outcrops of materials (clays) proper to the Triassic age, Most of the rainfall is on the northern and west- Keuper period. ern faces, while the extreme southeast has the most continental climate. Snow tends to be fre- Karstic processes (dissolution of limestone rocks quent in winter, above all in the higher parts and by water) are what have mostly determined the more exceptionally in spring. present morphology of the range, with emblem- The higher zones of the range are subject to large atic formations such as the Cint ravine or the amounts of mist and dew, rainfall that cannot be Sarsa cave. quantified but is not insignificant, especially for the vegetation. The snow is in the habit of being frequent in The Montcabrer from The Penyes Monteses the high levels of the Nature Reserve B. Allbiach Galán B. Allbiach Galán Plant life Mariola, with its over 1400 vascular plants, is doubtlessly a marvellous example of the biodiver- sity of species and settings. It is famous for the ones with aromatic and medicinal properties: Mariola sage, camomile, thyme, cat’s tail, hyper- icum, rock tea,... and for other ethno-botanical uses that have been made of them since ancient times; for preparing drinks, as a culinary condi- ment, as a remedy for all kinds of complaints, preparing perfumes, and others. In Mariola one can find anything from areas degraded by fires to good examples of potential climacic vegetation: the holm oak grove, and in shady areas, mixed Mediterranean woods, accompanied by kermes oaks, Mediterranean mezereon, junipers, evergreen buckthorn, etc.. Most of the range is however covered with pine trees and thickets with briar, heather, rockrose… and there are also some good examples of edaph- ic vegetation in the Vinalopó area, and major plant communities associated with springs (such as that of Molí Mató). The “Teixera d’Agres” yew tree grove is a major feature, still containing some extraordinary speci- mens of this remarkable magic tree. Mariola sage (Salvia blancoana subsp. mariolensis) Núria Lara Bernàcer B. Albiach Galán Golden eagle Fauna The great variety of environments also entails a major diversity of fauna. There are thus insects and many other invertebrates, amphibians (frogs and toads) reptiles, (Iberian wall lizard and large Psammodromus, ocellated lizard, Montpellier snake, Lataste’s viper...), birds (finch, partridge, serin, robin, common tit...; daytime birds of prey: golden eagle, peregrine falcon, goshawk...; noc- turnal birds: imperial owl, spotted owl, barn owl...) and mammals (boar, rabbit, wild cat, stone marten, weasel, genet, badger, fox...), colonising woods, meadows, cliffs, caves, rivers, ponds farmland and even urban centres. Fox B. Albiach Galán Barranc del Cint Barranquet de Ferri Sant Cristòfol 2 La Creu Ermita de L’Horteta Sant Cristòfol del Pobre 1 Baradero El Preventori de Moia Font de Moia Alcoi Barranquet de Soler Miquel Vives i Miralles N-340 Sant Cristòfol chapel . Vantage points in the sun 1 The path starts by the large pond and heads into the Route: An outing to Sant Cristòfol Cross ravine, towards the Horteta del Pobre [point 1], with barbecue facilities, tables, spring and a wood- Route: Preventorio (Alcoy)- La Horteta del Pobre - en bridge, all in a nicely prepared cool area. There Sant Cristòfol chapel and cross- La Horteta. are many paths leading to the top – at an altitude of 921 m, with the cross and Sant Cristòfol chapel Duration: 1 hour 2 [point 2], which is what gives its name to this public Distance: 2 kilometres area – so the most convenient option should be Ascent: 170 metres taken to avoid the proliferation of new shortcuts and to reduce the erosion process on the slope; The route starts in El Preventorio recreation area. head up through the pines where there is a cover- The building with the same name was built in the ing of perennial grass and the odd savin juniper; also 1950s as a hospital for children with tuberculosis. rosemary bushes, blackthorn, salvia cistus, hiper- Years later it became a residence for orphans and icum ericoides, evergreen buckthorn... is an old people’s home today. With a little luck you will be accompanied on the way by the majestic flight of the griffon vul- ture, a species which has colonised the cliffs of the Cint ravine and surroundings, thanks to a reintroduction scheme (Canyet Project). The present chapel, restored some years ago, is a 20th century building constructed on an early 14th century one: beside it there is a cistern and the large iron cross, either metres high, that can be seen a long way off, and was built in the 1950s to replace the original wooden one, made in 1903, which was destroyed during the Civil War. From this wonderful vantage point one can see the city of Alcoy and surrounding mountain ranges: La Serreta, Els Plans, Carrascal de la Font Roja, the Almudaina range, Serrella, Aitana and the Puig Campana. To the north you will be sur- prised by the Cint ravine and the foothills of Mariola, with Cocentaina and its castle and mount Benicadell in the background - Beniarrés reservoir at its feet – and the distant Safor mountains; to the west, El Castellar and the green fields of Baradello. We should stress that the whole area, chapel, paths and surroundings, have been prepared through the anonymous and uninterested endeavours of many retired residents of Alcoy, lovers of the mountains and who have year after year made this place their own and everyone else’s home. The way back to the starting point is by a less steeply-sloping path which you should leave before reaching Baradello de Moia to go back to the beginning in a fast and easy descent. Barranc del Cint B. Albiach Galán Agres CV-700 Barranc de Garlí Barranc del Molí Font de l’Assut Font de Bonell Refugi 1 El Convent La Teixera Microreserva Refugi Ombria de Mariola El Teix Fonteta del caseta de vigilancia Tio Rufino Cava de l’Habitació 2 3 Refugi Montcabrer El Recingle Cava Gran Caveta del Buitre Miquel Vives i Miralles Font del Molí Mató, microreserve . In the shade of the snow well An outing through Mariola’s shady areas Route: The Convent (Agres)- Montcabrer shelter tle (12th century).

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