The Irta mountain range constitutes the longest stretch of unspoiled coast in the Valencia Community. From the end of the last constructions in Alcossebre, following a land track parallel to the coastline until the beginning of the first chalets in Peñíscola, there are fifteen kilometres without a single erected building other than ruins from long ago.

   
The medieval watchtower Badum and the more recent but more deteriorated old carabineer barracks are both reminders of the necessity to watch over this unpopulated coast and any illegal activities that may occur there. As was nudism until a few years ago, and that now one can practise with total freedom not far from the two building areas. The Pebret cove offers tranquility to naturist thanks to its distance from any inhabited area. It is sandy in contrast to the gravel and stone of the rest of the coast which may be a contributing factor as to why real-estate activity has gone elsewhere.

   
The Templar property of a good part of the range has historically impeded human occupation. On the top, the castles of Polpis and Xivert are reminders of the feudal past, as does the excellent example of the Papa Luna castle in the old section of Peñíscola. The presence of the order of the Temple has left more than military memories. The borders of dry stone that climb whole mountains are proof of the achievement of this military order.

   
Abandoned for many years, these terraced fields have been re-conquered by a genuine and dense Mediterranean vegetation dominated by bushes such as the kermes oak, the lentisc , the fan palm and the blackthorn, dotted with abundant copses of Aleppo pines. This vegetation, impenetrable by humans, is the perfect refuge for boars, rabbits and partridges as well as many other animals, such as the warbler, badger, and some other different species of birds of prey, that hunters have never sought but are of interest to scientists. The peaceful coast is also a favourite place for two protected marine birds, the Audouin’s gull (Larus Audouinii) and the great cormoran (Phalacrocorax carbo).

   
The Irta range is not only coastline. Its summit, the Campanilles peak, reaches 572 metres and contains refreshing hidden springs and nooks such as the Mas del Senyoret. One of the few remaining elm groves survives there for now from the danger of  grafiosis, a disease that is ceaselessly killing elms worldwide. The slope away from the sea is covered in the lower parts by ancient olive trees, symbol and heritage of this area.

The Treasure of the Sand
   
In the Pebret cove, at the foot of the Badum Tower , one of the few dunes that has survived the urbanisation of the Valencian coast can be found. At the height of summer, the beautiful lily (Pancratium maritimum), a bulbous plant that is increasingly rare due to the disappearance of the sandy ecosystem, flowers there. In the form of a large bell, pure white and with a delicate perfume, a few decades ago it could be even found as far away as Malvarrosa, but is now a rare flower.

What to see in July
   
With the suffocating summer heat, Mediterranean nature goes into a lethargy similar to what happens to the inhabitants during winter in cold climates, but activity goes on as usual in the sea. It is the best moment to look below the surface in areas of clean water and rocky bottoms such as those between Denia and Benidorm. Air cylinders are unnecessary for these waters of less than one metre depth. Rubber sandals and diving goggles are enough to discover, without any risk or preparation, a world that is completely different to our own.