Montserrat Mountain Nature
At first glance, the mountain of Montserrat may seem arid, but it is due to the great verticality of its walls.
If we go along its paths, we will verify that it is not true, on the contrary, its vegetation is dense and exuberant.
The Holm oak is the most representative type of forest in the valleys, characterized by its density and variety of species, in some areas looks like a jungle due to its thick lianas.
Flora
There are more than 1,200 plant species that we can find in the mountains, some of the most important are:
Holm Oak (querens ilex) Mediterranean buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus), common smilax (Smilax aspera), Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus), Mediterranean Honeysuckle (Lonicera implexa), Italian Maple (Acer opalus), Mock Privet (Phillyrea latifolia), Butcher’s Broom (Ruscus aculeatus), European Box (Buxus sempervirens), Ivy (Hedera helix), Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo)
Where the original tree vegetation has disappeared we can also find:
Aleppo Pine forests (Pinus Halepensis) and Black Pine (Pinus Nigra) The undergrowth is plenty of Mastic (Pistacia Lentiscus) and wild asparagus (Asparagus acutifolius) among other.
Download the “Montserrat mountain flora and fauna short guide”
Fauna
the flora and fauna of Montserrat mountain and sorroundings were strongly affected by the fires, especially the one that occurred in 1986, considerably reducing the number of species or modifying it.
Mammals
The most emblematic mammal of the mountain is the South-eastern Spanish Ibex (Capra Pyrenaica Hispanica)
Other mammals present in the massif are the wild boar (sus scrofa) the squirrel (Scirus Vulgaris) the marten (Martes Foina) and the small-spotted genet (Genetta genetta)
Reptiles
The common wall gecko (Tarentola mauritanica), the snub-nosed viper (Vipera latasti), the Slow-worm (Anguis fragilis), the sand racer lizard (Psammodromus algirus), the ocellated lizard (Lacerta lepida) and the Montpellier snake (Malpolon monspessulanus)
Birds
The alpine swift (Apus melba), the crag martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris), the wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) the song thrush (Turdus philomelos), the firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla), the Wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) and the garden warbler (Sylvia borin)
Birds of Pray
The Bonelli’s Eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus), and the Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus).
Geology
What is most significative about the Montserrat massif is undoubtedly its unique orography.
People who live in their surroundings identify themselves with the silhouette that can be seen from their village.
Its imposing walls and its many uniquely finger-shaped summits called sometimes with enigmatic names such as “els frares Encantats” (The Enchanted Friars) invite us to walk, climb and explore them.
Montserrat mountain is a conglomerate massif made up of boulders and sedimentary material.
Countless fossils of marine animals have been found there, what give us clues about its past, Montserrat was in a large delta of an inland sea that has now disappeared.