We are at the entry to the Protected Landscape of the maritime pine-forest of Albarracín, at a look-out point over an old slag heap, with outstanding views over the area. It also invites a reflection on the impact of human activity on the environment. If we observe the view carefully, we can discover the reason for such contrasting scenery, in which moors with poor soils barely covered by a few shrubs are followed by an endless forest of maritime pines and deciduous and evergreen oaks.
Looking towards the east, huge masses of sculpted conglomerate and red sandstone around the Cabrerizo Ravine share the landscape with the maritime pines, which challenge the severity of the hard rock, seeking cracks and fissures to colonise new soils. In the opposite direction, the geology changes to carbonate rocks that colour the horizon with whitish hues. At the end of the valley, the town of Albarracín is found between fertile fields, flanked by long walls in a strategic pass of the River Guadalaviar. The deforested hills around the town are the result of the ancient uses made of the area since Roman times. Trees were felled for firewood and charcoal to be used in iron-works, pastures were grazed by excessively large flocks of livestock, terrain of limited fertility was ploughed for subsistence crops, trees were cut down illegally, and fires were started during armed conflicts… It was not until the last quarter of the 20th century, with the abandonment of human pressure, that the process was reversed and nature began to recover what it had lost.
- Access by car: the look-out point is accessible from the road along a short earth track to a carpark for all kinds of vehicles.
- Access for people with limited mobility: there are no infrastructures adapted for people with limited mobility. However, the vegetation is usually short and the look-out point can be reached easily. Moreover, in the Protected Landscape of the Maritime Pine-forest, several footpaths have been adapted, such as the one to the rock art site of El Navazo.
- Legal protection: it is inside the Protected Landscape of the Maritime Pine-forest, Albarracín Cultural Park, and the Site of Community Importance called Albarracín maritime pine-forest.
- Seasonality: it can be visited at any time of the year.
- Recommendations, what to see and do: it is well worth visiting the rock art sites in the pine-forest, where short footpaths take us to the heart of one of the most evocative landscapes on the whole Way of El Cid.
Rev.: PAB 10.05.23