Los Alcornocales Natural Park

Alcornocales is in Andalusia ( Spain), just north of the Strait of Gibraltar Natural Park situated in the largest cork oak forests of the Iberian Peninsula grow, which also represent one of the largest natural forests in the Mediterranean at all.

Geography and Geology

The nature park has an area of ​​167.767 hectares and is the largest part in the province of Cádiz and to a lesser extent in the province of Málaga. It is located on the territory of the municipalities 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, according to rules here before sandstone. The nature park is a low mountain range with heights usually around 800 m, the highest peak is located in the north of the area Pico del Aljibe 1,092 m. Especially the mountains to the south of the area offer fantastic views of the Strait of Gibraltar, on the African coast and the North African mountains. In the natural park and the Tajo de las Escobas, one of the Pillars of Hercules is located.

History

The area of ​​the Park was very likely inhabited since the Stone Age. There are traces of stone processing and cave paintings that suggest a frequent to permanent human presence. With Castellar de la Frontera, there are archaeological remains or relics of Iberian and especially from the Roman period, as the parking area from the 2nd century BC. belonged to the Roman province of Hispania ulterior and after its division by Emperor Augustus to the province of Baetica.

The Nature Park was established on 28 July 1989.

Flora and Fauna

The large cork oak forests benefit from the humid climate that prevails here between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.

Climate

In particular, the westerly winds ( Poniente ) bringing cool and moist air from the Atlantic to the area and provide ample rainfall, and even the se dry easterly winds ( Levante ) take over the Mediterranean moisture and often form when rising in the mountains permanent fog.

In the upper layer the trees often have dwarfism on, but the most strong winds are responsible: In the Strait of Gibraltar the Venturi effect ensures that the " bottleneck " between betical Cordillera in Spain and the Rif Mountains in Morocco strong winds prevail ( the Tarifa in the south of the area to make surfer's paradise ).