Muntanyes de Tivissa-Vandellòs, Protected mountain range in Tarragona Province, Spain.
Muntanyes de Tivissa-Vandellòs is a mountain range with limestone cliffs and rocky peaks covering roughly 14,000 hectares, with its highest point reaching nearly 730 meters. The landscape features diverse rock formations and natural structures mixed with agricultural terraces carved into the terrain.
This mountain range formed during the Jurassic period over 200 million years ago in a shallow, warm sea and preserved remains of mollusks and crustaceans. That ancient marine origin explains much of the rock composition and fossils still visible in the landscape today.
The abandoned settlements scattered across these mountains show how communities organized themselves from medieval times through the 1960s before gradually leaving. Walking through their ruins today reveals stone houses and terraces that shaped the landscape for centuries.
The area is crisscrossed with marked trails and old stone paths connecting different villages and making the varied landscape accessible. Visitors should know the terrain can be steep and rocky in places, so sturdy footwear and water are important to bring.
The limestone composition creates natural water pools called 'cocons' that form as rainfall slowly dissolves the rock in specific spots. These pool formations scattered across the slopes offer surprisingly fresh water in what is otherwise a dry landscape.
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