Monte Arabí
Yecla
An elevated stone formation boasting a very beautiful and unique landscape.
The erosive phenomena in its rocky walls are striking, having carved out hollows, caves, niches and perforated surfaces in honeycomb abd alveolate shapes.
This is an area of unquestionable archaeological value, in which the Cueva del Mediodía and Cantos de Visera stand out, as well as the petroglyphs known as cazoletas, at the foot of the mountain known as de los Moros, or Arabilejo, which have inspired numerous legends. The vegetation is dominated by Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis), although there are some holm oaks in shadier areas, and numerous species of flora, some of them endemic.
It features abundant and varied fauna in the form of invertebrates, reptiles and mammals. Above all, it stands out for having the greatest diversity of birds on the Jumilla-Yecla plateau.
Access:
Via the A-18 Yecla-Montealegre del Castillo road, taking a wide dirt way
to the left at km 15. After 1.8 km along this track you take a path to the right, pass by the Casa Vicente, and continue on to the mountain. It can also be accessed by the MU-404 (Yecla - Fuenteálamo), turning off at the Casa Don Lucio.
Two rock art sites are located there: Cantos de Visera and Cueva del Mediodía, both included in the UNESCO Mediterranean Arc Cave Art World Heritage Declaration in 1998. These pictorial manifestations have been dated to the 6th to 2nd
millennia B.C., the naturalistic Levantine style (Cantos de Visera I and II) being the most representative within the group of those identified, related to an era of Neo-Eneolithic activity between the 4th and 3rd millennia BC.
Visits to the Cantos de Visera del Monte Arabí cave paintings require a guide, a service offered to groups ranging from 15 to 25 people, arranged at least 48 hours in advance.
Call 968 790 901 (attention Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, or write to museoarqueologicodeyecla@gmail.com)
Access to the Horadada Cave in the Monte Arabí Natural Monument is temporarily restricted until further notice, due to work being carried out for the improvement of the Protected Natural Area.