How the Sierra Espuña Regional Park in the Region of Murcia turned green
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Words by Xenia Taliotis
It’s hard to believe when standing among the dense greenery of Sierra Espuña Regional Park, in the cooling shadows of the towering ash, elm and Aleppo pines that shield visitors from the midday sun, that there was nothing but desert here just 135 years ago.
Centuries of relentless logging, farming and mining had taken their toll, before a flood finally washed away what remained, This mix of human-caused destruction and natural disasters devastated this huge expanse of what had once been flourishing forest. What you will see today is very different.
“All of this amazing nature is young, and largely the work of one man: Ricardo Codorníu. We call him the ‘Tree Apostle’,” said local guide Carlos. “He is revered here, because without him there wouldn’t be any of what stretches out before us.
When Codorníu, a forest engineer, visited in 1889, he documented the lamentable state of an area that sits on the eastern point of the Baetic mountain range, in the Murcia region of south-east Spain.
‘I climbed to the top of the snow-covered Morrón de Espuña, carrying out an inspection of the slopes of the Guadalentin River,’ Codorníu wrote in his diary on 19 March 1889. ‘In the descent, crossing the high basin of Espuña… I saw neither a single pine tree nor a single oak tree. I decided, therefore, that we had to re forest everywhere.’
And re-forest he did. With the help of two associates, José Musso and Juan Ángel de Madariaga, he planted saplings and scattered seeds in that desolate landscape. He constructed paths and bridges, dykes and viewing points, cycling routes and trails. In total, the trio created an green oasis that now spans 17,000-plus hectares and sustains more then 15 million trees, leaving behind a year-round pleasure for all to enjoy, whatever your age or range of movement.
(Turismo Región de Murcia)
Photo by Marina Zaragoza Mayor
(Turismo de Murcia)
In greening the land, they also built an incredible environment for wildlife.
Golden eagles, Eurasian jays, eagle owls and red crossbills are just some of the 123 bird species that share their home here with 500 species of butterfly, 19 types of bat and another 38 species of mammal – including the Espuña squirrel, red fox, wild boar, European wildcat and beech marten. In addition, the area has become a fertile habitat for close to 1,000 different plant species. Indeed, more than a third of the flora that’s found in the region grows here.
Visitors can hike, bike, climb, trail-run, paraglide, learn to make pottery or even cook in the park. Its centrepiece, however, is its 65km of official paths, many of which lead to the pozos de la nieve, a cluster of 16th-century ice houses that remained in use until the arrival of electricity in the early 1900s. Others end at viewing points where natural wonders such as the lunar landscape of Barrancos de Gebas loom – a formation of ravines and canyons known as the Badland, which is at least 10 million years old.
Having worked up an appetite, visitors can try local specialities such as arroz a la leña (wood-fired Calasparra rice and vegetables) and mushroom croquettes at Rincón del Grillo restaurant, deep within Sierra Espuña, or rest up in the exquisite 12-bedroom Bajo el Cejo Hotel, which is built into a ravine filled with pomegranate and fig trees. Like other hospitality businesses in the park, the food miles racked up by what they serve hover at around zero.
Such success stories make Sierra Espuña – which was awarded regional park status in 1992 – not only one of the Murcia region’s most gorgeous places to while away several days, but also one of its most sustainable. It has even received accreditation from the EUROPARC Federation, which represents Europe’s protected areas and works to improve their management.
Among the park’s many achievements as an eco-tourism destination is the work being done to enrich the local communities. This is done through various initiatives, including Territorio Sierra Espuña, which is a multi-faceted project that promotes the food, services and crafts produced by growers, restaurateurs, hoteliers and artisans from the six villages around the area – Aledo, Librilla, Totana, Mula, Pliego and Alhama.
“Sustainability protects our local traditions and foods, our architecture and history, and our landscape and environment,” says Juan Francisco Martinez Carrasco of Murcia’s Institute of Tourism. “It covers everything we want to retain, including our traditions, our culinary heritage and our crafts. The pottery from Totana, for instance, was first made some 2,000 years ago, with skills being passed down through the generations from then on.
(Turismo Región de Murcia)
For extra enjoyment, as well as a taste of the cultural wealth of the region, try to time your visit with one of the local festivals. At Easter, during the Fiesta de la Noche de Los Tambores (the Night of the Drums), the streets of the town of Mula fill with thousands of drummers playing continuously from midnight on Holy Tuesday to late afternoon the next day, with additional performances on Good Friday and Easter Day.
Lovers of ancient music should note the dates of the Festival Internacional de Música Antigua de Sierra Espuña, which always takes place in the summer, followed on the first weekend in August by the magical Noche en Vela (Sleepless Night) in Aledo, during which the town is lit by thousands of candles. Booking is essential for this spectacle, as poets, musicians and dancers perform against a backdrop of candlelit houses, bustling restaurants, streets, squares and alleys in this ancient town.
But whatever your passion, whatever you choose to do here, you have Ricardo Codorníu to thank for turning the valleys and slopes of Sierra Espuña Regional Park into the lush wonderland that it still is today.
(Turismo Región de Murcia)
(Turismo Región de Murcia)
Need to know
Getting there
Getting around
Visiting the Sierra Espuña Regional Park
Glossary
Sustainability
The quality of being able to continue over a period of time, or the avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance (Camrbdige Dictionary).
