Valle de los Cirios
The Valley of the Candles is a Protected Area of Flora and Fauna in the municipality of Ensenada in Baja California, Mexico. This site was declared a protected natural area on 2 June 1980. With its 2,521,776 hectares (9,736.63 sq mi), is the area of Plant Protection and largest of Mexico Fauna, the second protected natural area of Mexico for full extension behind only El Vizcaino, but the largest in land area and one of the largest protected natural areas in the world. [1]
It is characterized by scrub and desert landscapes associated with large nuclei candles. Unlike popular belief, this is not a bleak scenario, but an area with a large conservation and integrity, defined by its high level of endemism, which includes abundant concentrations of cacti, reptiles and large mammals. The Valley of the Cirios is since 2004 in the Tentative List of Mexico, to be named World Heritage Site.
Fauna
In this desert live pumas, deer, coyotes, bighorn sheep, chameleons, eagles, hawks, owls and hawks. [2]
Physical aspects
Location
| - | 'Extreme coordinates' | Latitude N 29 ° 11 '24' 'to 30 ° 01' 48 - W Longitude: 114 ° 12 '36' 'to 115 ° 10' 12 | - | 'Country' | Mexico | - | Federal entity ' | Baja California | - | Municipality ' | Ensenada |
The Valley of the Candles is located south of state of Baja California, in the municipality of Ensenada, half of the peninsula Baja California. With 2,521,776 hectares (25,217.76 km2), covering a third of the surface state of Baja California and half the territory of Ensenada. Bordered on the south by the territorial limit Baja California Sur. This protected area, and another El Vizcaino, are adjacent, and also natural areas protected largest in Mexico, together exceed extension to the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Its extension is in communication with two seas: Pacific Ocean and Gulf of California.
City Ensenada, head of the municipality of the same name, is located 318 km north boundary of this natural area following the Carretera Federal 1 (Transpeninsular). Tijuana is 428 km, on the same road, while Mexicali, capital of the state of Baja California, is situated 325 km by the Carretera Federal 5, which leads to San Felipe and continues south on a stretch of dirt road. The city of Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur is located 10 km away from the southern edge of the natural area and Santa Rosalia to 224 km in the same direction.
Coordinates: 30°01′48″N 115°10′12″W / 30.0300°N 115.1700°W