The Serra Mariola Natural Park (, es, Parque Natural de la Sierra de Mariola) is a mountain range in the

Valencian Community The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid with ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, one of the most peripheral offsprings of the

Baetic System The Baetic System or Betic System ( es, Sistema Bético) is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain. Located in the southern and eastern Iberian Peninsula, it is also known as the Cordilleras Béticas (Baetic Mountain Ranges) or Baet ...

. Most of its territory is included in a natural park founded in 2002, covering an area of 17,257 ha. The park is surrounded by the towns of

Cocentaina Cocentaina (, ) is a locality and municipality in the comarca of Comtat, in the province of Alicante, Spain. The village is located between the mountainous Serra de Mariola national park and the Serpis river. Cocentaina is ideally situated for both ...

and

Bocairent Bocairent (, es, Bocairente) is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Vall d'Albaida in the Valencian Community, Spain. See also * Serra Mariola Natural Park The Serra Mariola Natural Park (, es, Parque Natural de la Sierra de Mariola) is ...

and the cities of

Ontinyent Ontinyent ( es, Onteniente) is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Vall d'Albaida in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is situated on the banks of the Clariano River, a tributary of the Xúquer, and on the Xàtiva–Alcoi railway. Ontiny ...

and

Alcoy Alcoy ( ca-valencia, Alcoi) is an industrial and university city, region and municipality located in the Valencian Community, Spain. The Serpis river crosses the municipal boundary of Alcoy. The local authority reported a population of 61,135 res ...

. It has a rectangular shape and altitudes higher than 1,000 metres, the highest peak being the Montcabrer, at 1,389 metres high. To the north the Benicadell Mountain Range has a peak bearing the same name and is 1,104 metres high. The ''Serra'' is predominantly composed of

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

. The climate is largely

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

. Covering these mountain ranges are some 200 or more different aromatic and medicinal plants with hundreds of different trees, which include a variety of yew unique to this area.

References

External links

Serra Mariola Natural Park
(Spanish, Valencian) Baetic System Green Spain Natural parks of Spain Natural parks of the Valencian Community Mariola Protected areas of the Valencian Community Protected areas established in 2002 Geography of the Province of Alicante Mariola Alcoy {{Protected-area-stub