CABEZO GORDO

El Cabezo Gordo originated in the Triassic, a division of the geological time scale, approximately 250 million years ago. At this time, the Earth underwent…

El Cabezo Gordo originated in the Triassic, a division of the geological time scale, approximately 250 million years ago. At this time, the Earth underwent a process of transformation in which important geographical features were formed. During the Alpine orogeny, the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided, pushing the accumulated marine sediments, and thus forming mountain ranges, mountains and elevations such as El Cabezo Gordo.

In this period, all the world was united forming the supercontinent "Pangaea", which was divided at the beginning of the Jurassic. In the Triassic also appeared the first mammals that evolved from the mammalian reptiles and in the advanced Triassic appeared the first dinosaurs. These data show us the age of this mountain, the same as the Sierra Nevada in Granada.

Located in the middle of the coastal depression, this mountain is 312 metres above sea level and 3 km long. It is the only elevation in the municipality of Torre Pacheco and is part of the Betic Mountain Range. It is not of volcanic origin like other elevations of Mar Menor like its islands and El Carmolí. Its nature is limestone and marble. It dominates the Campo de Cartagena from the north and the Mar Menor is 6 kilometres away.

El Cabezo Gordo is a protected landscape in the following categories:

• In 1998, with the Natural Resources Management Plan for the Open Spaces and islands of the Mar Menor and Cabezo Gordo, it was declared a Protected Landscape (Paisaje Protegido) due to its great biotic, landscape, cultural and paleontological interest.

• It is part of the Natura 2000 Network with the category of SCI (Site of Community Importance), especially because it is the habitat of five species of bats.

• It is also catalogued as an SGI (Site of Geological Interest), formed by sedimentary rocks such as: limestone and dolomites and metamorphic rocks such as marble.

• It is a Wildlife Protection Area.

• It is part of the Integrated Management Plan for the protected areas of the Mar Menor and the Mediterranean coastal strip of the Region of Murcia 2019, declared a Special Areas of Conservation (SAC).