The Penyal d'Ifac is a massive limestone outcrop emerging from the sea and linked to the shore by rock debris. It is home to numerous rare plants, including a number of endemic species, and over 300 species of animals, and a nesting site for colonies of sea birds and other birds.
Rising to 332 metres high, the rock is a striking visual feature of the Mediterranean coastline. Historically it was known to the Phoenicians as the Northern Rock, to distinguish it from its southern counterpart, the Rock of Gibraltar.[1]
Behind Penyal d'Ifac is a large lagoon cut off from the sea by strips of sandy beach and extending inland to the coastal mountains. The wetland area around the lagoon is all that remains of the formerly much more extensive wetlands of the Marina Alta.[1]
A protracted campaign to protect the site's unique natural diversity led to the area being granted natural park status in January 1987. With an area of 45 hectares, it is the smallest natural park in Spain, possibly in Europe. The park ranges from sea level to an altitude of 332 metres at the summit of the rock (penyal in Valencian, peñón in Spanish).[1]
From the top of the rock there are views over the surrounding villages and countryside and on a clear day as far across the sea as Ibiza in the Balearic Islands.[1]
The rock's sheer cliffs and rocky escarpments, exposed to the sea winds on three sides, have created a variety of microhabitats that have fostered a diversity of specialised plant species. At the lowest levels, relatively deep soils with higher moisture content in areas protected from the sea have allowed the development of a typical Mediterranean scrub vegetation community including dwarf palms, juniper, lavender and white pine. Higher up as soils become thinner and more exposed to the sun and wind alpine plant species have colonised cracks and gullies in the rock. The Ifac silene, Silene hifacensis [es], a highly endangered species first discovered on the rock, has now disappeared from the locality; no more than 20 adult plants are thought to be left in the wild.[1]Phoenix dactylifera palm species are naturalised in the area due for the massive public and private plantations from nearby.
Animal lifeedit
The rock face provides nesting sites for birds of prey including peregrine falcons and Eleonor's falcon, seabirds including gulls and cormorants, and other birds typical of rocky habitats.[1] There are also semi-domesticated cats that live near the peak.
Marine lifeedit
The seabed around Penyal d'Ifac is varied, with rocky, stony and sandy areas sheltering a very diverse marine community.[1]
Referencesedit
^ abcdefgFincal La Hometa website 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 20 March 2011
External linksedit
Natural Park of Penyal d'Ifac
Penon de Ifach at Beautiful World
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Penyal d'Ifac Natural Park.
December 18, 2023
penyal, ifac, natural, park, spanish, parque, natural, peñón, ifach, valencian, parc, natural, penyal, ifac, natural, park, situated, calpe, valencian, community, spain, penyal, ifacpeñón, ifachiucn, category, protected, landscape, seascape, locationmarina, al. Penyal d Ifac Natural Park Spanish Parque Natural del Penon de Ifach Valencian Parc Natural del Penyal d Ifac is a natural park situated in Calpe in the Valencian Community Spain Penyal d IfacPenon de IfachIUCN category V protected landscape seascape LocationMarina Alta Comarca Province of Alicante Valencian Community SpainNearest cityCalpe 3 2 km 2 mi and Alicante 66 km 41 mi Coordinates38 38 3 N 0 4 35 E 38 63417 N 0 07639 E 38 63417 0 07639Area47 haEstablished1987Governing bodyGeneralitat ValencianaPenyal d Ifac and beach The Penyal d Ifac is a massive limestone outcrop emerging from the sea and linked to the shore by rock debris It is home to numerous rare plants including a number of endemic species and over 300 species of animals and a nesting site for colonies of sea birds and other birds Rising to 332 metres high the rock is a striking visual feature of the Mediterranean coastline Historically it was known to the Phoenicians as the Northern Rock to distinguish it from its southern counterpart the Rock of Gibraltar 1 Behind Penyal d Ifac is a large lagoon cut off from the sea by strips of sandy beach and extending inland to the coastal mountains The wetland area around the lagoon is all that remains of the formerly much more extensive wetlands of the Marina Alta 1 A protracted campaign to protect the site s unique natural diversity led to the area being granted natural park status in January 1987 With an area of 45 hectares it is the smallest natural park in Spain possibly in Europe The park ranges from sea level to an altitude of 332 metres at the summit of the rock penyal in Valencian penon in Spanish 1 From the top of the rock there are views over the surrounding villages and countryside and on a clear day as far across the sea as Ibiza in the Balearic Islands 1 Contents 1 Plant ecology 2 Animal life 3 Marine life 4 References 5 External linksPlant ecology editThe rock s sheer cliffs and rocky escarpments exposed to the sea winds on three sides have created a variety of microhabitats that have fostered a diversity of specialised plant species At the lowest levels relatively deep soils with higher moisture content in areas protected from the sea have allowed the development of a typical Mediterranean scrub vegetation community including dwarf palms juniper lavender and white pine Higher up as soils become thinner and more exposed to the sun and wind alpine plant species have colonised cracks and gullies in the rock The Ifac silene Silene hifacensis es a highly endangered species first discovered on the rock has now disappeared from the locality no more than 20 adult plants are thought to be left in the wild 1 Phoenix dactylifera palm species are naturalised in the area due for the massive public and private plantations from nearby Animal life editThe rock face provides nesting sites for birds of prey including peregrine falcons and Eleonor s falcon seabirds including gulls and cormorants and other birds typical of rocky habitats 1 There are also semi domesticated cats that live near the peak Marine life editThe seabed around Penyal d Ifac is varied with rocky stony and sandy areas sheltering a very diverse marine community 1 References edit a b c d e f g Fincal La Hometa website Archived 2012 03 21 at the Wayback Machine accessed 20 March 2011External links editNatural Park of Penyal d Ifac Penon de Ifach at Beautiful World Ifac silene photograph nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Penyal d Ifac Natural Park Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Penyal d 27Ifac Natural Park amp oldid 1162562387, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
