Sierra de las Nieves

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The Sierra de las Nieves is a mountain range in southwestern Spain ( Malaga Province, Andalusia). It belongs to the mountains of Ronda and how this Betic Cordillera to. Impressive limestone mountains, deep gorges and precipices characterize the image of this mountain, which until 1919 m height ( Torrecilla ) achieved - high enough that here earlier snow was collected ( the Spanish name stands for Snow Mountains).

In the Sierra de las Nieves is found with a total of 3,000 hectares, the largest proportion of southern Spain hedgehog fir forests, and one of the largest inventories of ibex.

Since 1989, the core area of ​​the Sierra de las Nieves is protected as a nature park ( which was 1999 again increased slightly ), since 1995 the Sierra de las Nieves was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

The heart of the natural park is the Sierra de la Nieve, some of the most famous peaks, such as the Enamorados ( 1,775 m) and at its northern slopes offers some beautiful hedgehog fir forests.

Between her and the places El Burgo and the Sierra del Pinar is Yunquera, the main area of ​​growth of the hedgehog fir forests. In the south thereof lying Sierra de Tolox is the highest peak, the Torrecilla ( 1,919 m). In these mountains there are beautiful collections of the Portuguese oak and one of the deepest caves in the world.

In the Sierra de las Nieves of the Río Guadalevin who has cut the famous gorge of Ronda in the rock springs. In the northeast of the area and by the same name of the Río El Burgo runs, in the east there are the Río Alfaguara flowing through Tolox, and empties into the arising with Yunquera Río Grande, which in turn opens into the Guadalhorce. In the south of the nature park of springing on the southern slope of the Torrecilla Río Verde, which flows behind Istan in a reservoir that supplies the Costa del Sol with water running.

Climate

The Sierra de las Nieves is located between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. So the climate is basically a typical Mediterranean climate - hot, dry summer, rainfall in autumn, mild winters and spring - but especially in the summer to catch the higher altitude, moist winds from the Atlantic from which to fog and cloud formation and also in summer times (mostly with thunderstorms ) lead to rain. This higher moisture is ultimately the reason for the existence of hedgehog fir forests and held by the Portuguese oak.

Animal and plant life

Noteworthy is the vegetation of the Sierra de las Nieves especially for their hedgehog fir forests. They are a relic of this widespread in the Tertiary coniferous forests, which, owing to the humid climate at higher elevations on north-facing slopes here - could hold and still form extensive forests here - especially in the Sierra del Pinar and the Sierra de la Nieve. The best-known species of the nature park are the ibex, one of which can be found here one of the largest Spanish incidence. In addition, especially the birds of prey are conspicuous of which occur here Golden Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle and Bonelli's eagles, griffon vultures are occasionally observed. Next come before owls, tree and Peregrine Falcon, as well as in the hedgehog fir forests hawk and sparrow.