Cau de Mariano Ros - sculpture park in the mountains near Elche - hiking in the mountains
- Admin
- 12 hours ago
- 3 min read
Just 15 minutes by car from the center of Elche, in a disused quarry in the Sierra de Ferriol mountain range, there is a small park with sculptures carved into the rock. The sculptures were made between 2000 and 2008. The park is easily accessible, always open and an extraordinary experience. It is interesting for both children and adults. A marked path has been made of about 600 meters from the parking lot up to the sculpture park.
It was the mountaineer and nature lover Mariano Ros who created this park together with his friends Cándido, Vicente and Pere. They started the work in 2000 and had to finish it in 2008 because the authorities did not want any further intervention in the nature. They had managed to create more than 100 small and large sculptures, but they wanted to create many more.
Mariano Ros died at the age of 91 in 2017. He was not really an artist, but at the age of 70 he started chiseling in stone for fun. He discovered that it was possible to shape stone with a chisel and eventually learned techniques for making sculptures. This became a hobby that we can see the results of today.
As a curiosity, it can be mentioned that Mariano started work on creating a sculpture park in the Sierra de Castillar mountain range closer to the Elche dam, but had to abandon this when it conflicted with archaeological findings. The park was therefore created where it is now instead. The sculptures are carved into stone surfaces from a disused quarry. Since the stone is porous and subject to erosion, most of the figures are painted to protect the sculptures and give them a distinctive look.
In the sculptures, Mariano Ros and his friends have wanted to depict different aspects of daily life in Elche, both historically and today. Some of the artworks depict famous monuments and places in Elche. Others have special messages that he has wanted to convey, such as love for the mountains and nature.
A small and a slightly larger cave have been created. In the larger one you can sit down and write your thoughts in a guest book, or study the messages on the walls, or just seek shade on hot days. Here you will also find some tools used to maintain the area.
Several of the motifs are particularly interesting for children, such as the many animals that have been sculpted. If you want an experience a little out of the ordinary that the whole family can take part in, this is a great place to visit. Go on a journey of discovery around the terrain. There are works of art in more places than you see at first glance.
Even though there will be no new artworks, there are voluntary organizations that want to maintain the sculptures and the trees and plants that have been planted there. The area therefore appears very well-kept without any garbage or pollution. This is of course something that we as visitors should also contribute to.
More excursions: www.turideer.com
Excursion of the week: Sculpture park in the mountains near Elche - El Cau de Mariano Ros
Suitable for: Everyone. It is easy to walk with a stroller up to the plateau, but the last 50 meters to the sculptures you have to walk on a rocky path. It is a steady climb for most of the path from the parking lot.
How to get there: Search for "Parking Mariano Ros" in Google Maps. This will take you to a parking lot specifically designed for this attraction. From here, a gravel, level path marked yellow/white leads up to the plateau where the sculpture is made.
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