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Mountain range of Bernia

Altea, La Marina Baixa, Alicante

1 Villages · 2 Monuments · 2 Nature · 2 Activities · 1 Historical milestones · 1 Food and drink

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Mountain range of Bernia

Nature · Altea, La Marina Baixa, Alicante

A massif of the Prebaetic mountain range that stretches around eleven kilometres from west to east, perpendicular to the coast, spread across the municipalities of Alcalalí, Jalón, Benisa, Calpe, Altea, Callosa d'En Sarrià and Tárbena. Its summit, in the municipality of Jalón, reaches 1,128 metres and serves as a geodetic vertex; it is home to varied wildlife, including foxes, badgers, wild boar and birds of prey. On the southern slope, Philip II ordered the Bernia Fort to be built in 1562 to prevent Morisco uprisings and defend the coast against Berber pirates; it was dismantled in 1612-1613 following their expulsion. Of the fortification, at 803 metres above sea level, sections of wall, vaulted structures, moats and towers survive, with views as far as Altea, Benidorm and peaks such as the Puig Campana.

Photo: Samu alicante (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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