The Toloño (; ), also known as the Sierra de Cantabria, is a mountain range in the province of

Álava Álava () or Araba (), officially Araba/Álava, is a Provinces of Spain, province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, heir of the ancient Basque señoríos#Lords of Álava, Lordship ...

in the Basque Country in northern

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. From the west, the range rises from the ''Conchas de Haro'' where the

River Ebro The Ebro (Spanish and Basque ; , , ) is a river of the north and northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain. It rises in Cantabria and flows , almost entirely in an boxing the compass, east-southeast direction. It flows into the Mediterranean ...

enters the region of La Rioja at 445 metres above sea level, and from there runs east forming the northern border of the

Rioja Alavesa Rioja Alavesa (), officially Cuadrilla de Laguardia-Rioja Alavesa, in Spanish, and Biasteri-Arabako Errioxako kuadrilla, in Basque, is one of seven ''comarcas'' that make up the province of Álava, Spain. It covers an area of 315.83 km² with a po ...

, separating the Rioja region from the rest of

. Its highest point is Mount Toloño at 1271 metres above sea level in the municipality of

Labastida Labastida in Spanish language, Spanish or Bastida in Basque language, Basque is a town and Municipalities of Spain, municipality of the Rioja Alavesa, in the province of Álava in the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, norther ...

. It is noted for its steep rock faces on the southern side, and extensive forests in the north. The range is a landmark visible throughout the region.

The name

The Basque official name is Toloñoko mendilerroa, while in Spanish it is Sierra del Toloño. In Spanish, Sierra de Cantabria can be used too as a name, but the Instituto Geografico Nacional (Spanish National Geographic Institute) changed the official name in 2018. Kantabriako mendilerroa

Peaks

From west to east: *Peña Las Doce (1252 m): "twelve o'clock peak", the name comes from the shadow it creates at midday. *La Tortuga (1255 m): "the tortoise", named for the shape of the rock at its peak. *Peña del Castillo (1262 m): so called because a small castle was once situated here. Access is difficult. *Toloño (1271 m): some 20 metres further to the east of this peak is the border with the province of

La Rioja La Rioja () is an autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community and provinces of Spain, province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other List of municipalities in La Rioja, cities and towns in the ...

. *Peña del León (1206 m): part of La Rioja *Azkorri or Colorada (1218 m)

Fauna

The mountain range, together with the Obarenes Mountains, form an EU

special protection area A special protection area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and cer ...

for birds of prey. Resident species in these mountains include the

golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...

peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known simply as the peregrine, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family (biology), family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, Corvus (genus), cro ...

Griffon vulture The Eurasian griffon vulture (''Gyps fulvus'') is a large Old World vulture in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. It is also known as the griffon vulture, although this term is sometimes used for the genus as a whole. It is not to be confuse ...

Egyptian vulture The Egyptian vulture (''Neophron percnopterus''), also called the white scavenger vulture or pharaoh's chicken, is a small Old World vulture in the monotypic genus ''Neophron''. It is widely distributed from the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa ...

Eurasian eagle-owl The Eurasian eagle-owl (''Bubo bubo'') is a species of eagle-owl, a type of bird that resides in much of Eurasia. It is often just called the eagle-owl in Europe and Asia. It is one of the largest species of owl. Females can grow to a total le ...

Bonelli's eagle Bonelli's eagle (''Aquila fasciata'') is a large bird of prey. The common name of the bird commemorates the Italian ornithologist and collector Franco Andrea Bonelli. Bonelli is credited with gathering the type specimen, most likely from an expl ...

red kite The red kite (''Milvus milvus'') is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other Diurnality, diurnal Bird of prey, raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harrier (bird), harriers. The species currently breeds only i ...

and

common kestrel The common kestrel (''Falco tinnunculus''), also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel or Old World kestrel, is a species of bird of prey, predatory bird belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family (biology), family Falconidae. ...

. Other larger mammals such as the roe deer,

red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plus ...

and

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...

can occasionally be seen. At least 68 species of flowering plants have been identified.

Monastery of Santa María del Toloño

The ruins of the

Monastery of Santa María de Toloño Santa María de Toloño, also known as Our Lady of los Ángeles, is a ruined Spanish monastery located in the Sierra de Toloño near Labastida/Bastida, Labastida, Álava. Constructed by the Hieronymites, the monastery was destroyed in the First C ...

are located in a meadow at 1201 metres above sea level. It was abandoned in 1422.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sierra de Tolono Tolono Geography of Álava