Attractions & Activities
- National Parks - Maro Cliffs
Acantilados de Maro-Cerro Gordo Natural Area
This protected coastline runs for 12km east of Nerja to La
Herradura in Granada province and covers an area of 1,815ha.
Its dramatic rocky steep cliffs (acantilados) plunge down
to the sea, leaving a few sheltered bays with beaches in between,
which can be accessed via staircases or tracks. Located on
very edges of the Sierra Almijara, these limestone outcrops
have been eroded by the sea and weather into fantastic shapes,
with offshore stacks and arches and undersea caves like the
Cueva de los Genoveses and the Cueva de la Cajilla.
Its popularity with visitors particularly in the summer months
means that the beaches can get overcrowded and there are restrictions
on vehicles driving down to some beaches, while camping on
the beach and fishing in the protected waters are forbidden.
Flora
Here we can find pine trees, holm, Kermes oaks, locust trees
and wild olives. The main vegetation in this area is Mediterranean
scrubland, made up of lentisc, rockroses, dwarf fan palms,
rosemary and gorse. We can also find the endemic and rare
sea lavender limonium malacitanum, which is only now found
in a few places along this stretch of coastline. It is under
threat of extinction because so many visitors to the area
have been picking it.
There are some important underwater marine species of plant,
like a type of seaweed found here, the posidonia oceanica,
and coral.
Fauna
Mammals like the weasel, marten, fox, hedgehog and badger
and reptiles such as lizards and chameleons inhabit the area.
The cliffs are rich in birdlife, particularly gulls, like
black-headed, lesser black-headed and herring gulls. Gannets,
grey herons and raptors such as black kites, Bonnelli's eagles,
kestrels and buzzards can be seen wheeling overhead.
The marine part of the area is rich in crustaceans, molluscs
and fish like bream, grouper, conger eels and moray.
Access
The N340 coastal road, from where it is possible to go down
to the beach.
|
|