Orihuela Landscapes
Costa Blanca Details
La Huerta de Orihuela
includes an irrigation system of Muslim origin, the line of which has been
unchanged since the medieval centuries. All this has led to an ecosystem of
best use of both land and water resources, but due to the illegal construction of
growing populations, it is contributing to a substantial decline.
It has been proposed
by various groups such as the protection of Cultural Interest landscape to
become a site of cultural interest and part of the Heritage Sites of Community
Interest.
Monte San Miguel. Monte San Miguel’s highest peak is nearly 250 m
tall on the front south of the Sierra de Orihuela. It is a limestone massif,
and its entire surface is distributed hollows, caves, and shelters. It is
joined with the Sierra de Orihuela by a small mound or hill called Cerro del
Oriolet.
The Sierra Escalona is a large,
low-altitude area next to the sea, between the towns of Orihuela, San Miguel de
Salinas, and Pilar de la Horadada. It is a major forest preserve and is dense
in shady ravines, made up mainly of
Sierra de Cristo. A small mountainous area near the parish of
Torremendo.
Sierra Pujalvarez. Small mountainous area near the hamlet of
Torremendo.
Sierra Hurchillo, located between the towns of Arneva and
Hurchillo, represents one of the most characteristic reliefs located between
the right bank of the
El Aguado Cuerda-Murada. Geographical area between the hamlets of La
Murada and Barbarossa (north of the township). It represents an important area
with many ravines, pine forests with boulevards, and abundant wildlife.
Natural Heritage of Orihuela
Orihuela has a rich,
natural heritage due to the breadth of the town. The city of
Huerta de Orihuela
Of all the town’s
highlights, Huerta de Orihuela, a geographical region that extends south of
Elche to the border with the Murcian Huerta, administratively that corresponds
to the Vega Baja del Segura.
This is a unique
ecosystem, with only 10 around the world, including four in
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Mountain System
The town of
La Sierra de Orihuela (634 m tall at its peak), located within the
Betic domain. Together with the Sierra de Callosa mountain ranges, they form a
composite block of dolomitic limestone from the Triassic, which emerges in the
middle of the isolated floodplain. Its forms are very steep and fragmented.
The entire mountain
has many shelters and caves in various stages of development, which gives the
landscape a certain rugged beauty and unique geomorphology. Among the flora are
patches of pine forest and abundant endemic species such as the rupicolous
plant.
Lands of Campo
In contrast to the
garden, the area is displayed by large areas of dry land where the predominant
amounts of olive and almond trees are found. This extension corresponds to the
area of the Dehesa de Pinohermoso and some coastal areas.
The coast is largely
built by the big “boom” and residential tourism but still retains significant
enclaves that are yet untouched, such as Fly Creek, Sierra Escalona, and
several gullies.
Among the buildings
and housing estates that have proliferated on the coast includes three golf
courses that currently have 18 holes each, having a total of 54 holes in an
area of 1,700,000 m2, a set three excellent camps that are internationally
renowned, and is the home of important European tournament.
There are over 57
urbanizations widely distributed and two marinas: the Campoamor and Cabo Roig.
In 2008 all seven
beaches and one marina received the blue flag for clean seas of
It currently handles
its declaration as a World Heritage Site for its historical, cultural, and
environmental ecosystem, which is unique in the world.
Posidonia meadows of Cabo Roig. In the maritime Cabo Roig on the Orihuela
Costa is a large sea area for prairie Posidonia. These meadows are important
marine habitats that have been protected as Sites of Community Interest.
Rio
Wetlands
The Reservoir of La Pedrera, also known
erroneously as the Pedrera Reservoir, is an artificial lake situated between
Torremendo and Hurchillo as a result of the Tagus-Segura Transfer that was
built around the second half of the 20th century. The flora is typical of
wetlands, such as the reed, the Taray, and the evergreen. It provides a habitat
for many waterfowl.
Palm Orihuela and San Anton. Important forest composed of native palm
trees. It is located in the San Anton de Orihuela, in the rear flank of Mount
San Miguel and in front of the Sierra de Orihuela. Its origins are Muslim,
which marks its dithering and azarbes of ditches that run through the park.
Its cultural importance,
in addition to being the second largest palm grove in
Its area is clearly
delimited to geographical accidents such as the Sierra de Orihuela, Mount San
Miguel Huerta, and Oriolana. The coexistence of these geographic areas (area is
very dry, with very wet mountains) have endowed the palm of major environmental
importance.