ROCHA DA PENA

There’s no better time to get outside and go for a hike, whilst we don’t recommend doing it in the middle of the day, it is definitely worth taking advantage of an early morning or cool evening to see the breathtaking views from Rocha da Pena

Trail details: Distance: 6.7km Direction: Counter - clockwise Duration: Approx. 2 hours Altitude: Min 310m / Max 479m Altitude variation: 285m Difficulty level: Easy (level 2) T

he pedestrian trail of Rocha da Pena starts on a dirt road with a steep incline that really gets the heart rate up, this incline flattens out on your way to the top giving you a chance to catch your breath before reaching the stunning views it has to offer.

The Flora

Rocha da Pena has a high floristic diversity with more than 500 species identified in the area, several of which correspond to the Lusitania and Iberic endemic species

which are of special scientific interest as they offer an important refuge for many species unique to the Algerian Barrocal.

On the southern slopes you’ll find an abundance of Holm oaks (Quercus Rotundifalia), accompanied by Juniper (Juniperus turbinata), traditional drylands orchids with carob trees (Ceratonia siliqua), European olive trees (Olea europaea var. europaea), almond trees (Prunus dulcis), Fig trees (Ficus carica) and extensive scrublands dominated by kermes oaks (Quercus coccifera), dioecious evergreen shrubs (Pistacia lentiscus), Mediterranean buckthorns (Rhombus oleoides) and Mediterranean smilaxes (Smilax aspera var. aspera) among others.

In the northern slopes, on the deep loamy limestone substrates, the Portuguese oak (Quercus broteroi) and the Quercus gaditana stand out.

The Fauna

There is a rich diversity of birds living in and around Rocha da Pena with more than 80 species identified. In the autumnal migration you might get the opportunity

to observe the booted eagle, the short-toed snake eagle, the Eurasian sparrow hard and the griffon vulture, which usually appear in large flocks. With some luck, you might see the Egyptian vulture, a rare but regular migrant. The great limestone massif provides perfect breeding conditions for the blue rock thrush, the Eurasian eagle owl and the Bonelli’s eagle. In the ascent to the top of the trail, you’ll find the Dartford warbler, the Sardinian warbler and the winter, the alpine accentor and the ring ouzel.

There aren’t many mammals in the area, though you will find the bent-wing bat, the lesser mouse-eared bat and the Mehley’s

horseshoe bat which occupy the caves and the common Genet, the European rabbit, wild boar and the red fox.

It’s worth mentioning the protected species of amphibians, such as the Mediterranean tree frog, the Iberian midwife toad, the southern marbled newt and for the reptiles the horseshoe whip snake, the southern smooth snake and the spanish psammodromus.

There’s also rare species of butterflies such as the Spanish festoon, the Portuguese dappled white butterfly, the southern scarce swallowtail and the Old World swallowtail.

The Geology

Rocha da Pena is a cliff faced mountain made of very hard limestone rock, its tabletop is approximately 2 km in length and has a 50m cliff face and slope. The maximum altitude

of the tabletop is 479m. The structure has a number of different characteristics such as karrenfields, dollies, poljes, sink holes and vertical caves.

The main erosive agent involved in this process is water. Water affects the limestone rock above ground as well as below ground, over the years it moulds the rock into specific karst formations. Throughout the years, this chemical action corrodes the limestone causing cracks and cavities that are accelerated by the mechanical action of water. When it rains, the water brings dissolved atmospheric carbon dioxide that makes the water slightly acidic, when the water touches the ground, it infiltrates the soil and making contact with organic acids that then react with the limestone transforming the calcium carbonate into bicarbonate of calcium.

GRILLED SARDINES

Check out these sweet and peppery crispy sardines, ready in 20 minutes. These are great on a griddle, but will also work on the BBQ when the weather warms up. Serve with a big green salad and plenty of bread!

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp, plus extra to serve Garlic 3 cloves, sliced Smoked sweet paprika 1 tbsp, plus extra to serve Lemon, zested and wedged to serve Rosemary 4 sprigs, leaves stripped and bruised Red chilli 1, deseeded and finely chopped Sardines 8, gutted

Method

1Put all of the ingredients, except the sardines, into a bowl and mix together with some seasoning. Pour into a baking dish, add the sardines and toss really well. Cover and chill for a few hours.

2Heat a BBQ or griddle pan until hot. Cook the sardines for 4-5 minutes on each side or until really caramelised and charred. Put onto a serving plate, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with a little more paprika and squeeze over the lemon wedges.