Carrascal de la Font Roja Natural Park, Natural park in Alicante province, Spain.
Carrascal de la Font Roja Natural Park covers 2,298 hectares across the Serra del Menejador, whose summit reaches 1,356 metres. The massif consists mainly of Tertiary limestone, with screes and rock walls below the ridge. Dense holm oak woodland covers much of the park, and on the north-facing slopes above 1,250 metres grow deciduous trees such as oak, ash, maple and yew.
The area was designated as a protected natural park by the Generalitat Valenciana in 1987. This protection preserved the Mediterranean forest landscapes and mountain ecosystems for future generations.
The park's name comes from the carrasca, the Valencian word for the Holm oak that covers much of the massif, and from the Font Roja spring beside the sanctuary. The sanctuary and the old chalets near it are part of the park's listed heritage, together with the Mas de Tetuan and the snow wells and caves of the Menejador ridge.
Visitors should explore the walking trails during daylight hours and wear comfortable shoes, as the terrain is hilly. Water and sun protection are important, especially during warmer months.
On the summit of El Menejador, at 1,356 m the park's highest point, remain the stone snow wells (neveres) where snow was once packed and kept. The massif is built of Tertiary limestone, and the Cueva Helada near the Font Roja sanctuary shows the karst processes at work in the rock.
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