Support the UNESCO bid for the Serra de Tramuntana Mountains
The Consell de Mallorca is continuing to push for the Serra de Tramuntana to be named as an UNESCO world heritage site. The decision is due to be announced in June 2011. High profile names such as actor Michael Douglas, and musicians Patti Smith and John Mayall have recently registered their support on the specially commissioned website.
Douglas, who has owned his house in Valldemossa for more than 20 years, has joined 11,500 Mallorcan names on the site to ensure that the Serra de Tramuntana mountain chain becomes a protected area, thereby safeguarding their natural and historical heritage.
The Serra de Tramuntana mountain range is one of the most spectacular areas of Mallorca. Its composition of mainly Jurassic-era limestone rock means that it is susceptible to erosion from water that gives rise to a wide range of gullies, cave systems and other geographical features. The Torrent de Pareis is a fine example of a ‘karstic canyon’. There are also numerous rare animal and plant species. The rugged relief and diversity of the Tramuntana area has provided specific ecosystems which have influenced the evolution of the flora and fauna.
However, the landscape of the Sierra has primarily a human background, where generations of inhabitants have transformed the land. A combination of Islamic and Western cultures throughout the centuries has resulted in the formation of specific features. Construction of terraces for the cultivation of olive trees, and the extraction, channelling and conducting of water to make areas suitable for growing vegetables are examples of unique Mallorcan culture.
The Serra de Tramuntana mountain range is 90 km long, covering 800,000 aces. Its highest peak is the Puig Major, which, at 1,445 metres is the highest mountain in the Balearic Islands. The mountains stretch from Andratx in the south, to Cap de Formentor, in the far north of the island.
If you would like to support the UNESCO bid, you can sign the petition online.
