Nature tourism
The Espadán-Mijares Mancomunidad is characterized by a great variety of alternatives for those who wish to carry out active tourism activities. The natural environment allows the practice of various activities, highlighting the options of hiking, cycling, climbing, spelunking, canyoning and water activities such as kayaking, paddle surfing, rafting or aquatic caving.
The Sierra de Espadán is one of the easternmost mountain ranges of the Iberian System and divides the Mijares and Palancia basins. It covers the regions of Alto Palancia, Alto Mijares and La Plana Baja. It should be noted that a large part of the mountain range is in the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park, which occupies an area of 31,180 hectares and is the second largest protected area in the Valencian Community.
The Sierra de Espadán is formed by a Triassic mountain alignment that has a great tectonic interest and a geomorphological modeling characterized by steep ridges and softer and more rounded hills, passing, in a few kilometers, from sea level up to 1,106 m from the peak of the Quick These characteristics give the Sierra de Espadán an exceptional landscape value derived from the natural polychromy of the geological formations, highlighting the reddish-pink color of the siliceous landscapes that make up the sierra, against the whitish limestone that surrounds the Natural Park.
The Natural Park of the Sierra de Espadán offers the visitor a great diversity in terms of the ecosystems present: pine forests of rodeno, riparian forest, rural areas, the typical Mediterranean forest of holm oaks and Aleppo pine and interesting peculiarities such as chestnut groves. But undoubtedly, the cork oak forest is the most representative ecosystem of the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park, both for its uniqueness and its good state of preservation. The cork oak has the peculiarity of offering resistance to fire, which gives it a great ecological value. Its resistant bark, the cork, conveniently exploited, is also an economic resource for the populations of the sierra.
The fauna that appears in the park is the result of the diversity of landscapes and environments that it has.
There are amphibians, reptiles, a great variety of birds (Bonelli's eagle, short-toed eagle, booted eagle, goshawk, tawny owl, small owl and eagle owl, among others). The mastofauna is represented, among others, by the wild boar, the fox, the marten, the genet and the badger. Finally it is worth mentioning that there are some 16 species of bats, some of them of great importance and in serious danger of extinction.
The Interpretation Center and Management Office of the Serra d'Espadà Natural Park is located in the town of Eslida, in the building of the old schools, located at the junction of the roads that go to Aín and Chóvar.
Visiting hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday to Sunday.
Tel.: 964 629 112 / 679 196 294. E-mail: parque_espadan@gva.es
