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NATURE
The Columbretes islands. A natural archipelago
The Columbretes islands form one of the most singular spaces in the Mediterranean and stand out for being so close to the coast.
The natural wealth hidden on the sea bed demands special protection and this is why the islands were declared Natural Park in 1988 as only with difficulty would we find a similar ensemble in the Mare Nostrum.
Their volcanic origin formerly linking them together shapes a flattened half moon where at one end we can enjoy a wonderful 1856 lighthouse.
The Columbretes Islands are the best example of volcanism within the Valencian Community.
This singular group of islands occupies 5 nautical miles and a total surface area of 19 hectares . They are some of the most ecologically interesting Mediterranean islands. The islands' fauna and flora have been clearly influenced by their isolation. This natural reserve also has a very valuable sea floor.
The Columbretes geography is made up of Columbret Grande or Illa Grossa “the big island”, Ferrera, Foradada and Bergantín or Carallot, a total of 30 small islands that have been inhabited for less than a century and today hide valuable sea beauty and richness in terms of endemic plants and animals and, their sea floors.
A visit to the Columbretes bears witness to the extent to which cohabitation among species in hard conditions is possible. Human presence therefore must be respectful with this impressive habitat offered to us by nature.
Las Palmas Desert. An emblematic landscape
If there is one natural space with sentimental value to Castellón inhabitants besides being environmentally rich, it could only be Las Palmas desert. Near the Espadán and Calderona mountain ranges, Las Palmas forms a mountainous triangle scattered between numerous ups and downs, where the Bartolo summit or the Santa Águeda spires in particular stand out.
Las Palmas desert's mountains form a big natural amphitheatre protecting Benicàssim. It is one of the most emblematic landscapes within the Valencian Community. The protected, abrupt area occupies 3.200 hectares.
The term “desert” tends to be misinterpreted as this is not an empty vegetation-free space, but a place for spiritual retirement where back in the 16th century the Carmelita monks moved to, to escape from the madding crowd and devote their lives to the spirit.
Local dwarf palm trees, myrtles, strawberry trees and kermes oaks deserve special mention although there are also plenty of aromatic plants such as rosemary or thyme.
This is the closest Natural Park to Castellón city and until very recently its tree plantations provided a bonus to landowners. Although there are still today fields of almond trees, carob trees or olive trees, the plants themselves have taken the leap firmly seizing one of the most characteristic spaces of the Valencian Community.
Prat de Cabanes - Torreblanca. An originality of landscapes
This is a highly saline humid area. It was designed as a Natural Park in 1994 and occupies 912 hectares of a peculiar ecosystem. This is an ancient lagoon separated from the sea and over 6,000 years old.
Among its fauna there are birds such as canasteras, ash eaglets and royal warblers and other endemic species such as “gambetas”, “fartets” and “samarucs”.
The vegetation here has configured different stratums as we move away from the sea, creating different images during the year thanks to the variation in water conditions.
Nevertheless, the current Prat is a result of centuries of human intervention, a prime example of this being the peat bogs which can be considered a sustainable financial activity compatible with the present environmental preservation policies.
Yet besides its natural wealth, an evening walk along any of the numerous paths crossing it offers us a chromatic panoramic of reddish yellows contrasting with the Spanish east coast sea shine.
The Espadán mountain .The Mediterranean Eden
Espadán mountain range is the largest Natural Park within the Valencian Community, comprising nineteen town districts. Legally recognised in 1998, this is one of the last foot hills in the Iberian mountain system.
Some of its tallest summits are Rápita ( 1,106 m ), Pinar ( 1,101 m ) and Espadán ( 1,083 m ).
Its two slopes are the origin of the rivers Palancia and Mijares, which still carry water along their intermediate sections but their mouths are dry when they reach the sea.
Its width and its features, along with its good use of vegetable richness, especially cork trees, make this mountain range an enclave where financial development seems compatible with natural preservation.
A clear example of this, apart from what was previously mentioned, is the significant oil extraction from the olive trees which are at least one thousand years old that still inhabit these mountains.
A visit to the villages located on the mountain range will also help to get deep into the tradition of its people, who have managed to preserve their way of life for centuries, adapting to current times yet without losing any part of their idiosyncrasies.
Irta mountain range. The last virgin mountain
Irta mountain range is a row of mountains 573 metres high and with almost 20 km looking out over the sea. It stretches out between the districts of Alcalà de Xivert, Peñíscola and Santa Magdalena de Polpis offering its east side to the Mediterranean littoral.
The Irta mountain range with its 20 kilometres of abrupt coast, north of Castellón is the last virgin mountain range along the Valencian coastline. Its 20 m plus high cliffs hold plants of a great natural value. There are important marine ecosystems along over one km of coastline, such as the prairies of oceanic Posidonia, the place being a habitat for ornithological jewels.
This is the last Natural Park to have been recognised by the Valencian government in 2002.
Its rocky places, cracked by the strength of the water contrast with the intense green of the heights, where we can still find watchtowers such as Badum’s which over centuries formed a flexible, vital communication system for all the coast populations against possible pirate attacks.
La Tinença de Benifassà - The grand secret inland
Its abrupt relief leads to an immense landscape. Benifassà's Tinença rises amidst nature with calcareous formations modelled and punished by the erosion, which transformed it into unique stone shapes such as Portell de l'Infern.
This is one of the places in the Valencian Community where it rains the most, but its rivers are shallow because the land's calcareous substratum allows the water to filter away. Nevertheless, there are many small waterfalls and the famous and impressive cascade, the Salt de Robert.
On the steep areas around the Fou gully you can find the best botanical species. Hazel, lime trees, maples and black poplars colour spring and autumn and with the shade of their branches there are endemic species such as rock “xuclamel” (honeysuckle) and mountain valerian.
Some of its emblematic trees have become a point of reference and a sign of identity, being over 150 years of age just like the pines at Coveta, the black poplars at Font Lluny or the lime trees in Coratxà. The last two are situated in Pobla de Benifassà. Golden eagles, falcons, lagoon eaglets and vultures fly over steep rocks inhabited by martens, badgers and wild boars. The rich fauna around Benifassà's Tinença favours thick vegetation.
Valencia 's natural patrimony holds much excitement for the visitor who reaches Benifassà's Tinença. In this area, time, tectonic processes and the erosive forces of wind and water have created precipices, gullies, caves, holes and infinite mountainous formations that form peaks over 1.300 m high, such as Tossal d'en Canadé.
Penyagolosa
Penyagolosa includes a unique micro cosmos which incorporates solitary plains, dramatic gullies and thick woods and surrounds the important and second highest peak in the Valencian Community with its elevation of 1.813 metres.
The peak rises from the southeast of the massif and gives its name to the whole area: Penyagolosa.
The area's high rainfall is either absorbed by the more permeable calcareous materials or runs over the surface creating astonishing rivers such as the Montlleó, with over 600 kilometres of basin. Visitors are encouraged to see the Vistabella flat ground, the Pegunta gully, the watercourse of the Pla and the peaks such as Batalla, the next highest in elevation after Penyagolosa. All these areas have a spectacular common denominator: the vegetation, which varies according to the elevation.
Small oaks, red pines and kermes oaks grow on the calcareous rock above 1.000 metres elevation. As we descend we will find more black pines and below 1.000 metres there are white pines and kermes oaks again. There are also bushes of rosemary, heather and blueberry. Eagles, falcons and “azores” fly over Penyagolossa peak, strongly invoking the visitor's attention.
Penyagolosa may be considered the ultimate mountain in the Valencian Community. Its peak at 1.813 metres is the second highest in the Valencian region. Penyagolosa's physiographical characteristics, the magnificent up keep of its woods, its varied fauna and rich ethnographical patrimony make it one of the most important mountain areas in terms of environment, culture and landscape.
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