Parque Natural de la Sierra de Escalona y la Dehesa de Campoamor

The Parque Natural de la Sierra de Escalona y la Dehesa de Campoamor, Sierra de Escalona and Dehesa de Campoamor Natural Park, stretches across the municipalities of Orihuela, Pilar de la Horadada and San Miguel de Salinas in the province of Alicante. Set within La Vega Baja, it is one of the area’s most ecologically valuable landscapes.

What will you find in Sierra de Escalona and Dehesa de Campoamor Natural Park?

One of the park’s defining features is its varied patchwork of landscapes, where Aleppo pine woods give way to Mediterranean scrub, oleander thickets and plants adapted to gypsum-rich soils. Along its ravines and the course of the Río Seco, sandstone formations reveal traces of a fascinating geological past, including fossils of sirenians, shark teeth and bivalves. Its mix of habitats also provides an important refuge for birds of prey, and the park forms part of the Natura 2000 network as both a Site of Community Importance and a Special Protection Area for Birds.

History and culture in Sierra de Escalona and Dehesa de Campoamor Natural Park

There is plenty of human history woven into the landscape too. Across its hills and valleys you’ll find archaeological remains such as the houses of the Convento de San Ginés and the Casas del Rebate settlement, alongside old livestock tracks, esparto grasslands, mills and traditional waterwheels that speak to the area’s long farming and livestock-rearing traditions.

Routes in Sierra de Escalona and Dehesa de Campoamor Natural Park

• Orange Route – Los Alcores: This easy, linear route covers 2.1 km along an old livestock track, running from the start of the Sierra de Escalona colada to the Los Alcores viewpoint. It is a self-guided interpretive trail.

• Purple Route – Río Seco: A 3.8 km circular route of moderate difficulty, starting and finishing at the Pinar de Campoverde natural area. Along the way, you’ll follow the riverbed and ravines, where sandstone geological formations shape the landscape.

• Green Route – Senda a tus Pies: This easy, 250 m circular trail in the Río Seco natural area is designed to be walked barefoot over a variety of natural textures, including sand, stones, mud and pine needles.