Called Banu-l-Qatil by the Muslim geographer Al-Idrisi in the 12th century, the Monte Benacantil presents a situation of great strategic value, as it dominates Alicante and its plain, as well as the Bay. Although archaeological evidence points to prior occupations of Monte Benacantil from the Bronze Age to the late Roman period, the origins of the current fortress date back to the late 9th century during Muslim rule. Dominating its summit is the Santa Barbara Castle, an iconic and defining feature of the city’s skyline.

Rising 166 meters above sea level, Monte Benacantil is a rocky mass formed by intensely fractured tertiary materials, of ages belonging to the Lower and Middle Miocene; containing abundant fossil remains in its calcarenite strata. Its fracturing reveals joints and microfaults closely associated with the activity of the Crevillente Fault (Falla de Crevillente).

Regarding its fauna, stands out the variety of birds, especially the passeriformes such as the blackbird (Turdus merula), the robin (Erithacus rubecula), the house sparrow (Passer domesticus), and, within this order of birds, the finches (Fringillidae) are the most abundant species, specifically the serin (Serinus serinus) and the greenfinch (Carduelis chloris). But undoubtedly, due to the steep southern face, the most visible bird is the yellow-legged gull (Larus cachinnans / michahellis). It has been possible to certify the reproduction of eighteen bird species on Monte Benacantil, although the number should be higher, according to the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO Alicante).

Fully integrated into the city, the fauna of the mountain is shaped by human influence, limiting the presence of mammals to smaller species or micromammals, such as the common hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), the pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus), and the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), whose traces can be spotted on gnawed pinecones. Similarly, among the reptiles, we observe the common gecko (Tarentola mauritanica) and another smaller one, the Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus), although the presence of others of considerable size such as the ocellated lizard (Lacerta lepida) has been noted, which can reach 90 cm.