IAT-SIA Spain Coordinator Ruth Hernandez has announced the completion of 48 kilometers of new trail for the Sendero Internacional de los Apalaches in the Ciudad Real Province of Spain. The new sections follow the Guadalupe Royal Path and the Cid Path as well as public roads.
The main attraction of the area is the Tierras de Calatrava zone, a region of 600-million-year-old volcanoes with over 60 “lagoons” and wetlands occupying craters formed by past volcanic eruptions. The lagoons provide habitat for many species of aquatic birds which, in turn, attract predators such as the Iberian lynx and the golden eagle. Hundred-year-old holm oaks are common in the surrounding countryside.
Approximately 4000 square kilometers of the region are currently being considered as a new UNESCO Geopark. Described as a “Paleobotanical Pompeii” the proposed geopark contains fossilized giant ferns that grew to over 20 meters high, as well as the remains of amphibians and sharks that swam in the shallow sea that covered the area millions of years ago. A decision on the Geopark is expected in 2023.
Sendero Internacional de los Apalaches would like to thank ONG Misión Humanitaria for helping develop this new section of the trail.