The Sierra de Las Moreras in Mazarron

The mountains of Las Moreras are home to a Bronze Age settlement and varied flora and fauna

The geographical feature which most immediately springs to mind in connection with the municipality of Mazarrón is its beaches, which range from huge swathes of sand to tiny secluded pebbly coves, but it is also home to the protected mountain area of the Sierra de las Moreras.

These imposing mountains (click for map) are mostly covered in shrubs, grasses and bushes such as thyme, dwarf palms and others, but there are also rocky gorges, pine groves, a few traditional crop-growing Mediterranean the water is crystal clear, and the wildlife in the area includes sea turtles, numerous bird species, reptiles, mammals and amphibians.

Among these species are the peregrine falcon, the Bonelli’s eagle and wild tortoises, while the rich posidonia seagrass meadows lead to shoals of sea bream, bass and many other fish. Other marine wildlife includes octopus and starfish.

Back on land, one of the outstanding sites in the Sierra is the 3,000-year-old archaeological site of Cabezo del Plomo, which was a fortified hilltop settlement during the Copper Age similar to one found in Los Millares in Almería. The fortified wall is built directly onto the limestone rock, and consists of two irregular thicknesses of stones cemented together with mud. These two structures were built parallel to each other, the gaps of the inside one being filled with smaller stones to provide more solidity. Further reinforcement is provided by crude buttresses.

Four dwellings have been excavated to date, all of them oval-shaped structures with a stone wall base, upon which a wattle and daub, reed and mud structure would have been built.

Another feature is the Rambla de las Moreras, a natural rainwater runoff channel with its own special vegetation due to the increased humidity of the soil, and here there are flowering plants including oleanders and tamarisk as well as reeds and grasses. On occasions these are visited by nesting bee-eaters.

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