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Tornillo in Torcal (Natural Monument in the Province)

Diputación de Málaga
Catálogo Luces reveladoras. El tornillo. El Torcal de Antequera

Tornillo in Torcal (Natural Monument in the Province)

Tornillo in Torcal Natural Beauty Spot in Antequera covers a surface of 1,953 m, and it was declared as Natural Monument in 2001. Its name comes from its shape which is similar to a screw. It has been used as a symbol of Torcal Natural Beauty Spot in Antequera.

This natural monument is typical karstic formatio created by dissolution and disintegration of limestone stratum and erosion.

It is rather famous in this nature site, which is one of the best examples of karst processes and formations in Europe

 

Natural Monuments: Meaning


Natural Monuments are places or parts of nature which are considered to be significantly unique, rare or beautiful, and therefore are to be protected.


Natural monuments can also be geological formations, palaeontological sites and other geological structures that are of special interest for science, culture or landscape.


They can be geological, biotic, geographical, eco-cultural and mixed according to the criteria presented in Article 4 of the Government Decree 225/1999 with regulations regarding the arrangement and management of each of them.


The Council of the Regional Government of Andalusia has authority to establish certain spot or part of nature as a Natural Monument.

Location

Antequera.

First, we must get to El Torcal Natural Park (see the section on NATURAL AREAS: TORCAL ANTEQUERA)

Relief

El Torcal consists of limestone rock that originated in the depths of the sea during the Jurassic Period (250-150 million years ago). The sediments that accumulated on the seabed were cemented together by salts and precipitates produced by marine dissolution. Pushed by Alpine folding, they emerged from the sea to occupy their current location. The subsequent erosion and sinking of the crevices led to the creation of El Torcal’s typical “passageways”.

Later, the freezing of the water absorbed by the rock combined with the differential dissolution of the various types of limestone due to the acidic effects of the atmospheric CO2 present in the rainwater led to the rock being broken up and a multitude of different shapes being formed. Thus we have features known as the Little Hat, the Bold One, the Coffin, the Binoculars, the Chalice, the Die... and the Screw, which appears in the logotype of this particular location.

(See the section on ROUTES: El Torcal de Antequera: three routes)

How to get there

More information

Discover more about the province of Malaga

Discover more about the province of Malaga