Master Index    Nearest Caches
Earthcache El Torcal (Earthcache) by Davy boy (1,5/1)
N36° 57.083  W4° 32.680 (WGS84)
UTM  30S   E 362469  N 4090594
Use waypoint: GC12DM6
Size: Not chosen Not chosen    Hidden on 24-4-2007
In Nil, Spain
Difficulty:  1,5 out of 5   Terrain:  1 out of 5
   


This cache is set in El Torcal National park which has probably the most important limestone outcrops in Europe.

El Torcal is a truly amazing place and whilst walking amongst the limestone outcrops you could be on the moon!!
The story of the strange rocks capes - the Sierra del Torcal - began two hundred million years ago when much of the world was ocean and, in this small corner of Spain, the landscape began to change. Violent movements in the earth's crust forced the seabed upwards into strange plate-like rock formation soaring 1,300 meters upwards. As winter followed winter, the wind and rain of centuries chiselled away at these glacial limestone cliffs, carving them into fabulous shapes, some resembling Gothic castles, other mythological beasts.

La Sierra del Torcal is the most geographically arresting of all Spain's national parks, containing within its 17 square kilometres some of the most stunning natural limestone formations in Europe. Dusted with snow in winter, the spring and autumn rains provoke an annual explosion of colourful plant life and the fertile clay soil is pinpointed with lilies, vivid red peonies and 30 varieties of orchid intertwined with hawthorn, ivy and wild pink and yellow rose bushes.

Eagles and griffin vultures circle above El Torcal´s fairytale pinnacles; badgers, polecats and weasels burrow in the undergrowth; lizards and snakes bask in the noonday sun on smooth slabs of rock stacked like dinner plates.

To log this Earthcache as a find post a picture of yourself and your gps at the posted coords and find the answers to these questions then mail me the answers.

  • In geological terms what is this type of landscape called?
  • There is something special about the roof of the new information center,what is it?

  • From the information on your GPS unit, how high are you in meters?

  • Which year was El Torcal made a national park?

Additional Hints (There are no hints for this cache)


Current at 10-7-2009

Found it 7-6-2009 by Yehaah
This is truly a magnificent place.

I would highly recommend this earthcache to others.
Greetings from Denmark.

Mail with answers sent to cache owner.

Found it 7-6-2009 by iCan_DK
Visited this nice earthcache together with PYT and Yehaah.

Answers sent to cache owner.

TFTC

Found it 7-6-2009 by PYT
Visited this beautiful place together with iCan_DK and Yehaah. This was the first cache of our holiday in south Spain. What a place! Really stunning!

Greetings from Bornholm, Denmark :o)

Found it 6-6-2009 by jackie vandenberk
this was a great one

Found it 1-6-2009 by Ka-Pe
Mit dem Cache konnte ich meine vom Rundgang erschöpfte Familie immerhin noch zum Mirador locken, wo wir Slalom42 trafen, die ich hier nochmals herzlich grüßen möchte.

Muchas gracias por el cache!

Found it 1-6-2009 by Slalom42
Thanks for showing us this wonderful location. Cool
We have already answered the questions...

Muchas gracias y muchos saludos de Alemania. BigSmile
Slalom42

Found it 14-5-2009 by DieFilis
What an amzing place here. We were very surprised to see such stone formations.. it was like in mexico.

The answers are on their way...

Thanks from germany
Die Filis

Found it 23-4-2009 by Die 5 Steinweisen
*** MGT ***
Mission Garganta Tour
On Adventure-Week with DocW, Pullermann, Ralf_SG
BigSmileBigSmileBigSmileBigSmileBigSmile

We enjoyed the walk through the srones very much. Very interesting Earthcache. This is like the great Elbsandsteingebirge in Germany (but that is brown;-)).

Vielen Dank und Glückauf
Die 5 Steinweisen
(solo-ohne4)


Nearby Caches
GC9F9A El Torcal (0,38 kms W)
GCRV3C La Cantera del Torcal, Antequera (Málaga (2,39 kms NE)
GC1NH57 Camorro Alto (4,36 kms NW)
GC1JJF6 Plaza de Santiago (Antequera) (7,68 kms N)
GC1JFGB Dolmen de Menga (8,02 kms N)

Additional Hints (There are no hints for this cache)