Serra d'Irta (, es, Sierra de Irta) is an 18.8 km long mountain range in the

Baix Maestrat Baix Maestrat (; es, Bajo Maestrazgo ) is a coastal Comarques of the Valencian Community, ''comarca'' located in the north of the Provinces of Spain, province of Castellón (province), Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain. The capital of the '' ...

comarca, Valencian Community, Spain. Its highest point is Pico Campanelles (573 m).

Location

The Serra d'Irta stretches in a northeast-southwest direction south of the Vinaròs plain, its northern limit. It is located right by the Mediterranean coastline, rising on the eastern side of the road between Barcelona and Valencia. Its southern limit is near Alcossebre. This mountain range is covered with

Maquis shrubland 220px, Low maquis in Corsica 220px, High ''macchia'' in Sardinia ( , , ) or ( , ; often in Italian; hr, makija; ; ) is a shrubland biome in the Mediterranean region, typically consisting of densely growing evergreen shrubs. Maquis is char ...

, including '' Juniperus oxycedrus'', '' Calicotome spinosa'', ''

Pistacia lentiscus ''Pistacia lentiscus'' (also lentisk or mastic) is a dioecious evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus ''Pistacia'' native to the Mediterranean Basin. It grows up to tall and is cultivated for its aromatic resin, mainly on the Greek islan ...

'' and ''

Anthyllis cytisoides ''Anthyllis cytisoides'' is a summer-deciduous shrub of Southern Europe, common in the Balearic Islands and the southeastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** * ...

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s. Some of the lower slopes facing inland are planted with

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

almond The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genus ...

and carob trees. In spite of the mountain area having been officially declared a Natural Park, there has been heavy urbanization on the slopes of the mountain having a sea view towards the northern end of the range next to

Peníscola Peníscola () or Peñíscola (), anglicised as Peniscola, is a municipality in the Province of Castellón, Valencian Community, Spain. The town is located on the Costa del Azahar, north of the Serra d'Irta along the Mediterranean coast. It is a po ...

. There are castles and watchtowers of

Moorish The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or se ...

times on peaks of the Serra d'Irta both east of

Santa Magdalena de Polpís Santa Magdalena de Polpís (, es, Santa Magdalena de Pulpis) is a town and municipality in the Baix Maestrat comarca, province of Castelló, Valencian Community, Spain. The town is located inland in a flat valley between the two mountain ran ...

and of Alcalà de Xivert. The most important watchtower is Torre Badum.

Geology

The Serra d'Irta is a karstic formation with numerous shafts and caves. It is a southern prolongation of the

Catalan Pre-Coastal Range The Catalan Pre-Coastal Range ( ca, Serralada Prelitoral Catalana) is a system of mountain ranges running parallel to the Mediterranean Sea coast in Catalonia. It is part of the Catalan Mediterranean System. Its main axis runs between the Catalan ...

that formed 25 million years ago as part of the Alpine orogeny. Geologically the section formed by the Serra d'Irta - Santa Magdalena de Polpís/Alcalà de Xivert Valley - Talaies d'Alcalà is very similar to the section formed by the

Serra del Montsià Serra (Latin for "saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area *Ampar ...

- Ulldecona/ Freginals Valley -

Serra de Godall Serra (Latin for "saw") may refer to: People * Serra (footballer) (born 1961), Portuguese footballer * Serra (surname) * Serra (given name) Cities, towns, municipalities Brazil *Serra, Espírito Santo, a city in the Greater Vitória area *Ampar ...

further north. These sets of parallel mountain ranges and valleys form the transition between the

Catalan Mediterranean System The Catalan Mediterranean System, also known as Mediterranean System, Transversal Ibero-Pyrenaean System, and Catalanid System,Josep Guitart i Duran, Maria del Tura Bolòs et al. ''Història agrària dels Països Catalans (Volum 1) Antiguitat'', 2 ...

and the Iberian System.Gepec.org Serra del Montsià

References

External links

{{commons category
Parc Natural de la Serra d'Irta, non-official Page
Irta Baix Maestrat

Location

Geology

See also

References

External links