Sirenas

Best known as the Mermaid Reef, is considered one of the most recognizable icons of the province Almer�a.... more

by Guido Montanes Castillo

Title

Sirenas

Artist

Guido Montanes Castillo

Medium

Photograph

Description

Best known as the Mermaid Reef, is considered one of the most recognizable icons of the province Almer�a.
This is a set of volcanic vents as rock outcrops at the foot of the lighthouse of Cabo de Gata, at the southern end of the park.
According to tradition, got its name from the ancient mariners who mistook the cries of the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), former inhabitant of these rocks, with the singing of the nymphs marinas.
Descending from the lighthouse can be seen the remains of an old pier and a small cove of white sand that remains submerged during high tides.UE NATURAL CABO DE GATA, ALMERIA, SPAIN
National Park of Cabo de Gata in Almeria, Spain. Famous for his landscapes of volcanic origin and its natural.
National Park of Cabo de Gata in Almeria, Spain. Famous for his landscapes of volcanic origin and its natural.
Located in the south-eastern corner of Spain, Cabo de Gata-N�jar Natural Park is Andalucia's largest coastal protected area, a wild and isolated landscape with some of Europe's most original geological features. The eponymous mountain range is Spain's largest volcanic rock formation with sharp peaks and crags in red / ochre-hues. It falls steeply to the Mediterranean Sea creating jagged 100m-high cliffs, which are riven by gullies leading to hidden coves with white sandy beaches, some of the most beautiful in Andalucia. Offshore are numerous tiny rocky islands and, underwater extensive coral reefs teeming with marine life.[1] Its climate is arid to the extent of being the driest location in Europe and the continent�s only subtropical or "warm" desert, with rainfall below 200 mm a year and average yearly temperatures above 18 degrees centigrade. In 1997 it was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. In 2001 it was included among the Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance. In 2010 it was proposed as a dump for nuclear waste.[2]
The name 'Cabo de Gata,' contrary to popular "ex-pat" myth, does not mean cape of cats, though the word "cabo" does mean cape, as in Cape of Good Hope. The word "gata" apart from meaning a female cat, actually relates to the mineral agate which used to be mined in this area

Uploaded

March 2nd, 2012