Valle de los Cirios
The Valley of the Cirios (Valle de los Cirios) is a wildlife protection area in the southern portion of the municipality of Ensenada in Baja California, Mexico. This site was declared a protected natural area on June 2, 1980. At 2,521,776 hectares (9,736.63 sq mi) in area, it is the second-largest wildlife protection area behind El Vizcaíno, but it includes more land than El Vizcaíno.
It is characterized by scrub and desert landscapes featuring many cirio trees. The wildlife area is largely untouched and well-conserved, featuring a large number of endemic species including abundant concentrations of cacti, reptiles and large mammals. The Valley of the Cirios is on the Mexican Tentative List of sites that may become a World Heritage Site.
Physical aspects
The Valley of the Cirios is located in southern Baja California. It covers a third of the area of the state of Baja California and half the territory of Ensenada. Its southern border is the state line with Baja California Sur, which contains the entirety of the adjacent El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve; the two protected areas together cover more area than the state of Quintana Roo. Valle de los Cirios borders the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of California.
Fauna
The desert is inhabited by pumas, deer, coyotes, bighorn sheep, chameleons, eagles, hawks and owls.[1]
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