Sierra de Cucalón
Encyclopedia
Sierra de Cucalón is a 25 kilometres (16 mi) long system of mountain ranges in Aragon
, Spain
, located between the comarcas of Jiloca
and Cuencas Mineras
.
These mountains are part of the Iberian System
and are often covered with snow
in the winter. Rivers Huerva
and Martín
have their source in these ranges.
in its central section) extending eastwards as Sierra Pedregosa.
This whole system of mountain ranges is named after the town of Cucalón
, located at the western end.
The ridge's highest summits are Pelarda (1,517 m), in Sierra de Pelarda, and La Modorra (1,478 m), located at the NW end of the Sierra de Oriche. Other important summits are El Marujal (1,486 m), Cerro del Ortigal (1,429 m), Alto del Puerto de Fonfría (1,501 m), La Rocha (1,340 m) and La Retuerta (1,492 m). All main peaks are unconspicuous except for La Modorra
The Sierra de Pelarda mountains are covered with forest made up pine
, Carrasca (Quercus ilex), cork oak
, and juniper
trees. There are many endangered species living in these relatively uninhabited mountains, far from human intervention.
The Ermita de la Virgen de Pelarda is located in the Pelarda range, close to Olalla.
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, located between the comarcas of Jiloca
Jiloca Comarca
Jiloca Comarca is a comarca in Aragon, Spain. It is located in Teruel Province, in the mountainous Iberian System area.Its capital is Calamocha and it was formerly known as Comarca de Calamocha....
and Cuencas Mineras
Cuencas Mineras
Cuencas Mineras is a comarca in Aragon, Spain. It is located in Teruel Province, in the mountainous area of the Sistema Ibérico.The administrative capital is Utrillas, with 3,346 inhabitants the largest town of the comarca, but the historical and cultural center is Montalbán.This comarca owes its...
.
These mountains are part of the Iberian System
Sistema Ibérico
The Sistema Ibérico or Iberian System is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.It is a vast and complex system of mountain chains and massifs located in the central regions of the Iberian Peninsula, but reaching almost the Mediterranean coast in the Land of Valencia in the east.From...
and are often covered with snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
in the winter. Rivers Huerva
Huerva River
The Huerva River is a river in Aragon, Spain. It is a tributary of the Ebro . Its mean annual discharge is only 67 hm³.-Course:...
and Martín
Martin River
The Martin River is a river in southern Alaska. It flows westward from the Martin River Glacier into the Copper River Delta....
have their source in these ranges.
Ranges
Two main ranges run parallel to each other, the northern one is Sierra de Oriche, also known as "Las Rochas", and the southern one, smoother and covered with forest, as Sierra de Pelarda or Sierra de la Pelarda (also known as "Sierra de Fonfría" after the town of FonfríaFonfría, Teruel
Fonfría is a municipality located in the Jiloca Comarca, province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2010 census the municipality has a population of 30 inhabitants....
in its central section) extending eastwards as Sierra Pedregosa.
This whole system of mountain ranges is named after the town of Cucalón
Cucalón, Aragon
Cucalón is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2010 census the municipality has a population of 102 inhabitants...
, located at the western end.
The ridge's highest summits are Pelarda (1,517 m), in Sierra de Pelarda, and La Modorra (1,478 m), located at the NW end of the Sierra de Oriche. Other important summits are El Marujal (1,486 m), Cerro del Ortigal (1,429 m), Alto del Puerto de Fonfría (1,501 m), La Rocha (1,340 m) and La Retuerta (1,492 m). All main peaks are unconspicuous except for La Modorra
The Sierra de Pelarda mountains are covered with forest made up pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, Carrasca (Quercus ilex), cork oak
Cork Oak
Quercus suber, commonly called the Cork Oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section Quercus sect. Cerris. It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring. It is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa.It grows to up to 20 m,...
, and juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
trees. There are many endangered species living in these relatively uninhabited mountains, far from human intervention.
The Ermita de la Virgen de Pelarda is located in the Pelarda range, close to Olalla.