Los Alcornocales
| Parque Natural de Los Alcornocales | |||
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| Location: | Andalusia , Spain | ||
| Specialty: | Largest cork oak population on the Iberian Peninsula | ||
| Surface: | 167,767 ha | ||
| Founding: | July 28, 1989 | ||
Alcornocales is in Andalusia ( Spain of), just north of the Strait of Gibraltar situated Nature Park , where the largest cork oak forests of the Iberian Peninsula grow, at the same time one of the largest natural forests in the Mediterranean represent at all.
Geography and geology
The natural park has an area of 167,767 hectares and is mostly in the province of Cádiz and a smaller part in the province of Málaga . It is located on the territory of the municipalities of Alcalá de los Gazules , Algar , Algeciras , Arcos de la Frontera , Los Barrios , Benalup-Casas Viejas , Benaocaz , El Bosque , Castellar de la Frontera , Jerez de la Frontera , Jimena de la Frontera , Medina-Sidonia , Prado del Rey , San José del Valle , Tarifa , Ubrique and Cortes de la Frontera .
Geologically, the area belongs to the Campo de Gibraltar , accordingly sandstone predominates here . The nature park forms a low mountain range with heights mostly around 800 m, the highest peak is the Pico del Aljibe in the north of the area with 1092 m. Especially the mountains in the south of the area offer fantastic views of the Strait of Gibraltar, the African coast and the North African mountains. The Tajo de las Escobas , one of the pillars of Hercules, is also located in the natural park .
history
The area of the nature park was very likely settled since the Stone Age. There are traces of stone processing and cave paintings, which indicate a frequent or permanent presence of people. At Castellar de la Frontera there are archaeological finds or relics from the Iberian and especially from the Roman period, as the park area began in the 2nd century BC. It belonged to the Roman province of Hispania ulterior and after its division under Emperor Augustus to the province of Baetica .
The nature park was established on July 28, 1989.
Flora and fauna
The large cork oak forests benefit from the humid climate that prevails here between the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
climate
Especially the westerly winds ( Poniente ) bring cool and humid Atlantic air into the area and provide abundant rainfall, and even the dry east winds ( Levante ) absorb moisture over the Mediterranean and often form permanent fog when ascending in the mountains.
In the upper layers, the trees are often dwarfed by the mostly strong winds: In the Strait of Gibraltar, the Venturi effect ensures that strong winds in the "bottleneck" between the Betic Cordillera in Spain and the Rif Mountains in Morocco prevail (which make Tarifa a surfers paradise in the south of the area).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Official website of the nature park administration ; Spanish, accessed September 24, 2013.
- ↑ IAPH INSTITUTO ANDALUZ DEL PATRIMONIO HISTÓRICO listing of historically relevant finds in the municipality of Castellar de la Frontera; Spanish, accessed September 24, 2013.
Web links
- Los Alcornocales Natural Park Information on nature and landscape, hiking and tourism in the Los Alcornocales Natural Park; German, accessed on October 4, 2013
- Official website of the nature park administration ; Spanish, accessed October 4, 2013.
- Tourist Office of the Province of Cadiz , description of the Parque Natural de Los Alcornocales; German, accessed on October 4, 2013.