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Desert de les Palmes

Benicàssim, La Plana Alta, Castellón

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

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Desert de les Palmes

Nature · Benicàssim, La Plana Alta, Castellón

The Desert de les Palmes Natural Park, declared in 1989 by the Generalitat Valenciana, covers about 3,200 hectares of mountains and Mediterranean pine forests across the municipalities of Benicàssim, Cabanes and Orpesa. Despite its name, it is not a desert: it takes the name from the Carmelite congregation, which calls its places of spiritual retreat “desert”, and which is present in the park with an old monastery and a new one. The second part of the name refers to the margalló, the only palm tree native to Europe, abundant in the area. Among its heritage are the ruins of the Montornés castle, from the Muslim period, the hermitage of les Santes (1617) and the Ermitori de la Magdalena, to which the people of Castelló de la Plana have made pilgrimage since 1378. The vegetation, regenerating after the fires of 1985-1992, combines cork oaks, holm oaks and strawberry trees.

Photo: Espencat (Public domain)

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