Wildlife and walking holidays in the Valencian Community
- Capital: Valencia.
- Area: 23,255 km²
- Provinces 3: Castellón, Valencia, Alicante
The Valencian Community holds a tremendous number of parks given its smaller size.
The coastline is around 500 kilometres and some of its mountains rise steeply from the coast.
The highest peak is El Calderon at 1837 m part of the Sistema Iberica range. Various sierras (mountain ranges) offer a choice of cliffs to tempt experienced rock climbers.
Find a hotel in the Valencian Community
Booking.comMany of the sierras (mountain ranges) are wooded either with Holm oak, Kermes oak Cork oak or Aleppo pines trees. Deep river valleys shelter endemic plant life and the more exposed salt marshes and coastal zones contain very specialist flora.
Up to 200 micro-reserves are being designated to halt the decline in endemic plants such as Cistus heterophyllus subsp. Carthaginensis and Silene diclinis.
A few books to help you explore the Valencian Community
Tours in the Valencian Community from Viator
Valencia has a vast array of sites to visit and enjoy. Below are some of the options listed on the Viator website. (We recieve a small commission if you book a tour which doesn’t cost you more and helps us to keep Wildside Holidays up to date with the best information.)
Natural Parks in the Valencian Community
The Natural Park of L’Albufera is a nature reserve of pine forest and freshwater lakes attracting a range of migratory birds. These wetlands are up to 6 km wide at one point. The water level can be controlled by sluice gates.
Citrus groves cover a large part of the Valencian countryside, which is an important contributor to the region’s economy. The coastal zone known as the Costa Blanca, with its beach tourism, is also a significant economic driver.
- 1 Located at the foot of the Massif de los Puertos de Tortosa-Beceite the wild and mountainous environment of the Tinença de Benifassá Natural Park is located in the extreme north of the province of Castellón, bordering the Catalan regions of the Ports of Tortosa and the Aragonese of La Matarraña.
- 2 The Sierra de Irta Natural Park (in Valencian Parc Natural de la Serra d’Irta) is located in the Baix Maestrat region at the northern end of the province of Castellón.
- 3 The Desert de les Palmes Natural Park (Parque Natural del Desierto de las Palmas) is located in the southeastern area of the province of Castellón and has suffered several damaging fires over the last few decades (last major fire 1992) leaving it relatively lacking in wild forested areas but it is in a in a steady process of regeneration
- 4 The Prado de Cabanes -Torreblanca Natural Park (in Valencian, Parc Natural del Prat de Cabanes-Torreblanca) consists of an area of wetlands separated from the sea by a natural dam of gravels and sandy marshes. the area is popular with birdwatchers for the various species of waterfowl present.
- 5 The Islas Columbretes Natural and Marine Reserve is located about 30 miles from the coast of Castellón de la Plana and is formed by the four groups of volcanic origin islets of l’Illa Grossa, la Ferrera, la Foradada and Carallot.
- 6 The Impressive and imposing summit of Penyagolosa at 1,814 metres with its immense panorama of the Castellón region and neighboring lands of Aragón is known as the “magical mountain”, an emblem of Castellón and is one of the references of Valencian natural and cultural heritage. The peak of the Macizo Penyagolosa Natural Park can be seen from all over La Plana and even from inland regions such as Alto Palancia.
- 7 In the Sierra de Espadán Natural Park There are many well signposted hiking routes and the area of the Benitandús Reservoir is popular due to the Órganos de Benitandús (imposing rock formations reminiscent of the shape of a church pipe organ)
- 8 Among all the peaks of the mountain range of the Sierra Calderona Natural Park, undoubtedly the most visited is Garbí, between the municipalities of Serra, Estivella and Albalat de Taronchers from where there are beautiful panoramic views over the regions of Huerta Norte and Campo de Murviedro.
- 9 The largest protected area in the Valencian Community, the Hoces del Cabriel Natural Park (in Valencian Parc Natural de les Gorges del Cabriol) can be found where the Cabriel river acts as the natural boundary between the regions of Castilla la Mancha and the Valencian Community. On the Castilla la Mancha side the area is known as the Hoces de Cabriel Nature Reserve. However, both now are also a part of the Valle del Cabriel Biosphere Reserve which was declared by UNESCO in 2019
- 10 L’Albufera de València Nature Park and lagoon. Beaches, dunes, forest, rice fields, the lagoon… these Mediterranean eco-systems are amazing biodiversity hotspots. L’Albufera de València Nature Park and lagoon is located 11 kilometres south of Valencia.
- 11 Marjal de Pego Oliva Natural Park. The mountains, Serra de Mostalla, to the north and Serra de Segària to the south are mainly limestone. This allows water to drain freely, therefore feeding the reed beds, pools, scrub land, rice fields, citrus orchards and livestock grazing. The park, which is shared between Valencia and Alicante, attracts a varied list of bird species and many ornithologists enjoy the area for photography.
- 12 The Macizo del Montgó Natural Park (in Valencian Parc Natural del Massís del Montgó ) is located in the northeast of the province of Alicante between the towns of Denia and Jávea. This mountainous area rises steeply from the coast and dominates the skyline for miles around and is famous for its cliffs, caves and natural harbours.
- 13 The smallest protected area in Spain, the Peñón de Ifac Natural Park (Penyal d’Ifac) is a massive limestone outcrop emerging from the sea to a height of 332 metres next to the town of Calpe.
- 14 The Sierra Helada Natural Park (Serra Gelada) and its coastal environment is located within the Marina Baixa region between the bays of Benidorm and Alfàs-Altea. It was the first combined land and maritime park to be declared in the Valencian Community as a singular example of a coastal mountainous ecosystem formed by an impressive relief that rises abruptly on its coastline with cliffs of over 300 metres.
- 15 In the Carrascar de la Font Roja Natural Park there are some exclusive endemisms such as the Mariola salvia (Salvia blancoana ssp mariolensis) and others with a very limited distribution area including Candytuft (Iberis carnosa ssp hegelmaieri), Valencian pea (Lathyrus tremolsianus), saxifraga (Saxifraga corsica ssp cossoniana) and “Pebrella” (Thymus piperella) a variety of wild thyme which grows in the mountains of the north of Alicante and south of Valencia. (The flavour is similar to a combination of thyme, oregano and savoury and it is used mainly with meat dishes.)
- 16 In the Sierra de Mariola Natural Park many herbs grow wild on the mountainside and have been collected and used for perfumery, gastronomic and medicinal purposes over centuries. One of the traditional crafts kept alive is the distillation of these herbs to make alcoholic beverages.
- 17 The Salinas de Santa Pola Natural Park (Salines de Santa Pola in Valencian) is located in the Bajo Vinalopó region in the south of the province of Alicante and this wildlife habitat is a excellent example of human industry and nature symbiosis since its formation is due to the development of the extraction activity of the Bras del Port maritime salt pans that began to produce salt by solar evaporation of sea water in the early 1900’s.
- 18 In the Lagunas de la Mata y Torrevieja Natural Park Salt extraction has been in operation here since the 13th century and continues to present day so for this reason, much of the protected area is closed to the general public. (There are, however, good access points, footpaths and observatories for birdwatching)
- 19 Fed by the waters of the rivers Segura and Vinalopó, the area of El Hondo Natural Park is included in the Ramsar convention list of protected wetlands and as a Special Protection Area under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.
- 20 In the the Puebla de San Miguel Natural Park there are abundant fossil remains including dinosaurs and marine species from the Cretaceous period whilst the town of Puebla de San Miguel has an excellent ethnographic museum.
- 20 The Turia Natural Park has some important elements of geological and historical heritage. Among them are sites from the Bronze Age (Poblado de la Loma de Betxí) and, from the Visigothic period the fortified fortress of Valencia la Vella. There is also a great architectural infrastructure made up of dams, ditches, aqueducts and reservoirs that have been in use for many years in order to take advantage of the water flow for agriculture.
- 21 The Sot de Chera Natural Park is the headquarters of the first geological park in the Valencian Community and this is the main reason for a visit to this area. Many examples of geologic structures that that are normally seen only in books can be found here such as strata, faults, folds, travertine formations and fossils. The geological structure of a rift valley is exemplarily represented and covers 70 square km showing geological structures and landforms that have developed during the last 150 million years.
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