Protected place of the Serpis

The stretch of the Serpis River between Beniarrés and Villalonga acts, together with its surroundings, as an element of connection between the mountain and the coast in the limits of the provinces of Valencia and Alicante. It is an exceptional mosaic of habitats and landscapes that synthesizes, like few Valencian territories, the basic characteristics and peculiarities of the Mediterranean mountain. The area has geomorphological qualities that make it worthy of special attention. In some sections, the secular erosive action of the river has given rise to unique spaces such as the Barranc de l’Encantà and the Inferno-Racó del Duque Straits. This gorge between the mountains of Safor and Cuta has made visible the geomorphological elements, forming a landscape of great value due to its uniqueness and its accessibility from the old Alcoy-Gandia railroad. This disused line is, at present, one of the biggest attractions in the area, with great possibilities for the ordered public use of the natural environment and the enjoyment of the landscapes.

The diverse mountainous and river environments propitiate a great variety of habitats. We find from important clusters of Mediterranean forest in good condition to remarkable riverside forests. There are many aquatic faunistic species of great interest, accompanied by birds, mammals and other vertebrates of special relevance, some of them scarce in the Valencian Community. It is a space with an exceptional landscape and remarkable ecological and geomorphological values.

There are also architectural elements of great historical value linked to the landscape, such as the engineering legacy that left the railroad (bridges, mounts and tunnels), Perputxent castle, mills of the late nineteenth century, azudes and small hydroelectric plants .

This historical interaction between the natural physical environment and human activity throughout the centuries, characterizes the landscape and the area of ​​influence that is now protected in order to ensure its conservation and rational management. The protected space management system advocates the sustainable use of the natural resources of the Serpis River and its associated landscape, whose conservation criteria will be fixed by the wording of the corresponding Governing Plan for use and management that involves the Declaration of the Protected Landscape of the approved Serpis April 13, 2007.