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| Penyal d'Ifac | |
|---|---|
| Peñón de Ifach | |
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
 | |
| Location | Marina Alta Comarca, Province of Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain |
| Nearest city | Calpe (3.2 km (2 mi)) |
| Coordinates | 38°38′3″N 0°4′35″E / 38.63417°N 0.07639°E |
| Area | 47 ha |
| Established | 1987 |
| Governing body | Generalitat Valenciana |
Penyal d'Ifac Natural Park (Spanish: Parque Natural del Peñón de Ifach, Valencian: Parc Natural del Penyal d'Ifac) is a natural park situated in Calpe, in the Valencian Community, Spain.
The Penyal d'Ifac is a massive limestone outcrop emerging from the sea and linked to the shore by an isthmus of rock debris.[1] 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.[2]
Rising to 332 metres (1,089 ft) in height,[3] 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.[4]
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.[4]
A protracted campaign to protect the site's natural diversity led to the area being granted natural park status in January 1987. With an area of 45 hectares (110 acres),[5] it is the smallest natural park in Spain, possibly in Europe.[citation needed] The park ranges from sea level to an altitude of 332 metres at the summit of the rock (penyal in Valencian, peñón in Spanish).[4]
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.[4]
- ^ Memorias: Serie de ciencias naturales (in Spanish). Vol. 16. Real Academia de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales de Madrid. 1955. p. 236.
- ^ España (Guías Visuales): Inspirate, planifica, descubre, explora (in Spanish). DK (publisher). 10 March 2023. p. 207. ISBN 978-0-241-66085-0.
- ^ Michelin Green Guide: Spain. Michelin Travel & Lifestyle. 2012. p. 500. ISBN 978-2-06-718252-3.
- ^ a b c d Fincal La Hometa website Archived 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 20 March 2011
- ^ Juan Antonio López Geta; Luis Rodríguez Hernández (2010). Desarrollo Sostenible, Uso Conjunto Y Gestion Integral de Recursos Hidricos (in Spanish). IGME. p. 242.