El Surar (in Spanish, ''El Paraje Natural Municipal de El Surar''PNM El Surar-Llutxent, Pinet
(in Spanish)) is a Municipal Natural Park located in the east of Spain, within the comarca of Vall d'Albaida in the autonomous community of Valencia; it is shared between the municipalities of Pinet and

Llutxent Llutxent () is a town located in the eastern part of Spain, in the Valencian Community, within the county of the Vall d'Albaida, 80 km south of Valencia and 110 km north of Alicante. As of 2016, it is inhabited by 2,402 people. Th ...

. El Surar is the southernmost cork oak forest in Valencia. It consists of a series of open copses that are the remains of more extensive, older forests. Unlike the cork forests located further to the north of the Valencian Community, it has the singularity of inhabiting soils evolved from calcareous

subsoil Subsoil is the layer of soil under the topsoil on the surface of the ground. Like topsoil, it is composed of a variable mixture of small particles such as sand, silt and clay, but with a much lower percentage of organic matter and humus, and it ...

s. Cork oak forests usually occur in siliceous soils,Soil Properties Constraining Cork Oak Distribution, Isabel Serrasolses, Marian Pérez-Devesa, Alberto Vilagrosa, Juli G. Pausas, Teresa Sauras, Jordi Cortina, and V. Ramon Vallejo
/ref> and as such its presence in El Surar is explained by the intense rainfall recorded in the area, which washes away the soil and results in high levels of decarbonisation and acidification. El Surar was declared Municipal Natural Park by Generalitat Valenciana on March 4, 2005. The Municipal Natural Park of Parpalló-BorrellPNM Parpalló - Borrell, Gandia
(in Spanish) is to be found in the adjacent municipality of Barx.

Etymology

The name "El Surar" is derived from the Valencian term ''suro'', meaning “cork”."Suro" Catalan - English
/ref>

Climate

The area enjoys a typically Mediterranean climate, characterised by hot summers and relatively cold winters, with an average of two snowfalls per year. Precipitation averages from 500 to 800 mm

Geography

The park, which occupies an area of some 837.81 hectares,El Surar
/ref> is located at the head of a series of gullies that flow into the River Piner in the area of Sierra de Marchuquera, within the municipalities of Pinet and

. At an altitude of around 600 meters above sea level, it provides panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, deep ravines and the coast at nearby towns of Gandia and Xeraco.

Flora and fauna

The area is host to two flora micro-reserves, called "Pla de Junquera" and "Els Miradors". The flora found in El Surar is somewhat different to that found in other Valencian cork oak forests: there is an absence of silicic species, such as tree heath, whilst others more commonly found in

holm oak Holm oak may refer to: * '' Quercus ilex'', tree native to South and Southeast Europe and parts of France * '' Quercus rotundifolia'', tree native to the Iberian Peninsula and Northwest Africa * ''Quercus agrifolia ''Quercus agrifolia'', the Cal ...

forests are present: daphne, kermes oak, rosemary, etc. The forest is also host to a wide range of Mediterranean shrubland fauna, including wild boar and

rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...

, as well as golden eagle, falcon, owl,

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The ge ...

, common quail, partridge and

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

, among other speciesEuroresidents - Paraje Natural Protegido de Surar-Pinet
(in Spanish)

Route of the Monasteries of Valencia

El Surar lies on a variant of the

Route of the Monasteries of Valencia The Route of the Monasteries of Valencia ( GR-236) is a religious and cultural route that connects five monasteries located in central region of the Province of Valencia, ( Valencian Community), in Spain. The Route was inaugurated in the y ...

( GR-236), a monumental and cultural route that connects five monasteries located in the south of the Province of Valencia. Of the four different itineraries available, three (by foot, by

Mountain bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which ...

and on

horseback Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

) cross El Surar, following signposted riding trails, forest tracks and old roads. By foot, the route takes approximately 3-4 days. The Route was inaugurated in 2008.Source: Las Provincias
The route of the Monasteries: El Pas del Pobre.
/ref>

Access

El Surar can be accessed by signposted forest tracks from the villages of Pinet, Llutxent and Barx.

Gallery

File:Cork tree 1, Pla de Junquera, El Surar, Pinet, Valencia.jpg, Cork tree in El Surar File:Els Miradors Flora Micro-reserve Sign 1, El Surar, Pinet, Valencia.jpg, Entry to Els Miradors Flora Micro-reserve in El Surar File:Picnic area 1, Pla de Junquera, El Surar, Pinet, Valencia.jpg, Picnic area at Bassa del Surar in El Surar File:Road through El Surar 1, Pinet, Valencia.jpg, Forest track running through El Surar File:Route marker 15, El Surar, Pinet, Valencia.jpg, Route of the Monasteries of Valencia signpost in El Surar

External links

Paratge Natural del Surar

References

{{reflist Vall d'Albaida Forests of Spain Natural parks of Spain Geography of the Province of Valencia Tourism in the Valencian Community