SERRA DE TURP I MORA COMTAL-VALLDAN PROTECTED NATURAL AREA

Serra de Turp i Mora Comtal-Valldan Protected Natural Area

Nature area / Countryside / Open space, Natura 2000 network

The spectacular landscape of the Turp and Mora Comtal-Valldan mountain ranges is an area of transition between the Mediterranean lowlands and the natural systems of the Pyrenean foothills. Besides the breath-taking landscape, this is an area of high geological interest with beautiful formations, similar to those of Montserrat, and a rich diversity of plant and animal ecosystems.

Serra de Turp i la Mora Condal-Valldan Protected Natural Area is divided among several municipalities in the regions of Solsonès and Alt Urgell. Its orography establishes an area of transition between the Mediterranean lowlands and the natural systems of the Pyrenean foothills.

The geomorphology is characterised by rugged limestone reliefs of great scenic beauty and scientific interest. In the central zone, just above La Móra, are the Artigues or Encantades, a unique formation, with a relief similar to that of Montserrat. Its highest point is Pico del Turp at 1,620 metres, which is located very near to Coll de la Coma de Turp, a point at which you can cross the mountain range and which divides the range into two sectors.

The water network is formed by a group of seasonal streams with clean, clear waters, like the Sant Joan or Móra rivers. This is a rich and varied ecosystem, which is highly unique within the territory. All of them are tributaries of the Segre river, which also forms the western limit of the natural area.

The Valldan has a compact anticlinal structure due to the effect of the erosion of the more soluble materials present in its core (loams and lutites). It is an area of high geological interest due to the undulating folds caused by the pressure from the Pyrenean foothills.

Year of declaration: 1992
Regulations: Law 12/1985, of 13 June and Decree 328/1992, of 14 December.
Area: 3709
District: Oliana; Odèn; Coll de Nargó; Fígols; Lladurs; Peramola.
Visitor centres: N

Annual closing: Open all year round.
How to get there: Located between the regions of El Solsonès and L'Alt Urgell, access is possible from the south side via Oliana and Montpol. From the north side of the range, access is via Cambrils d'Odèn.
Languages: Catalan, Spanish

Flora

The orographical diversity fosters the presence of a wide variety of plant communities: from pasture, red pine forests, pine needles, holm oak groves, scrubland, riverside woodland, through to vegetation that thrives in rocky areas and gorges. It is worth mentioning the mixture of Mediterranean and Eurosiberian species, from both lowlands and mountain environments, such as the English yew (Taxus baccata), holly (Ilex aquifolium) and hedgehog broom (Erinacea anthyllis). There are also endemic plants like Scrophularia pyrenaica, Petrocoptis pardoi and Erodium rupestre, catalogued as vulnerable plants and protected by law.

Fauna

There are populations of chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica), but the most noteworthy feature of the area is the importance of its rocky habitats for birdlife here, as the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus), the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), the owl (Bubo bubo) and many more winged creatures build their nests here. The subterranean cavities are very important for cave wildlife, with a large presence of rare, endemic bat and beetle species such as Geotrechus ubachi.