Asturias is a great nature reserve. Here are their numbers: being only 2% of the Spanish territory, it brings together almost 1% of all the Biosphere Reserves on the planet. Approximately 35% of its territory has some level of environmental protection, the highest percentage in the country (the average is 10%). In addition, the Principality was a pioneer in the regulation of natural spaces. In 1918 the first national park in Spain was declared in the Montaña de Covadonga (today Picos de Europa National Park), in 1964 the Muniellos Forest was designated as a Picturesque Landscape, and in 1988 Somiedo was cataloged as a "Natural Park", even before the State regulated basic regulations. The subsequent development, at a regional level and in terms of protected areas, is one of the most envied in Spain; beginning its journey in 1991 with a specific law and the Plan for the Management of Natural Resources of the Principality of Asturias (PORNA).
The network of Asturian natural spaces today adds 7 Biosphere Reserves, 39 Natural Monuments, 13 Special Protection Areas for Birds (ZEPA), 1 Integral Natural Reserve and 6 Partial Natural Reserves, 2 Protected Landscapes (in process another 8 more) and 2 Wetlands of International Importance. A good part of this ecological fortune revolves around 5 large natural parks and a National Park; clearly delimited spaces, with sufficient management instruments to guarantee the conservation and custody of all the territories they comprise.
Picos de Europa National Park
This large limestone formation extends 40 km long (East-West) and about 20 km wide (North-South) in three differentiated massifs. In addition to mountains and peaks, this park is home to an unusual density of wildlife and flora, subalpine above the 1.600 meters. Below this level we find Beech forests and dreamy sheepfolds. In the middle is also the culture of the man of medium and high mountain, who lives small rural and hospital nuclei in perfect harmony with the environment.
The peaks of Europe
In 1918, the first national park in Spain was declared in the Covadonga Mountain, today the National Park of…
Somiedo Natural Park
The Somiedo Natural Park, famous for its brañas and its lakes, is located in the southern part of the Principality. It is a territory dense in environmental and ethnographic values. Its surface occupies the negligible number of 300 square kilometers. A world of unevenness: smooth and abrupt reliefs that vary from 400 meters to heights above 2.100. In between, a cluster of landscapes and endless routes that will force us to plan excursions.
Somiedo Natural Park
The Natural Park of Somiedo is a piece of land of great beauty designed for lovers of ...
Natural Park of Redes
Its impressive groves and its virgin nature amaze the hiker. With an area of 376,2 square km, it is characterized by having a medium and high mountain orography, dominated by limestone, the Atlantic forest, meadows and pastures in the bottom of the valleys. The minimum level of the Park is 400 meters above sea level and the maximum is in the Picu Torres with 2.104 meters. The Alba route or the Brañagallones route They are two of the most emblematic of this park and of all of Asturias.
Natural Park of Redes
One of the most exceptional reserves in terms of nature and ethnography in the entire Principality of…
Natural Park of Ponga
There are few corners in the park that do not provide a captivating view; The orography is given by an enormous limestone mass of mountains dotted with privileged watchtowers. The park is outlined in a broad mid-mountain range halfway between the Picos de Europa and the Redes Natural Park. This paradise preserves a large number of forests, mainly beech forests such as those on Mount Peloño, with more than 15 square kilometers and 200.000 trees, it is one of the best preserved beech forests on the Peninsula.
Natural Park of Ponga
Ponga's habitat is the most ideal for those types of people who find themselves like a fish in water heading...
Fuentes del Narcea, Degaña and Ibias Natural Park
Declared a Natural Park in 2002 and a Biosphere Reserve in 2003, with an area of more than 5oo square km, extends widely through the councils of Cangas del Narcea, Degaña and Ibias. An authentic Asturian jungle full of routes, twists and turns and green horizons, with treetops and more trees spreading everywhere.
Fuentes del Narcea, Degaña and Ibias Natural Park
Magical landscapes, amazing forests that shelter exceptional fauna impossible to see almost anywhere. ...
Las Ubiñas-La Mesa Natural Park
It is a magnificent mountain territory with a relief of strong contrasts, located in the southern and central area of Asturias, which is unbeatable for hiking and, in general, for fully enjoying nature. The main massif exceeds 132 square kilometers with elevations of more than 2.000 meters. There are perfect routes for all audiences such as the Ports of Marabio o the Path of the Bear.
Las Ubiñas-La Mesa Natural Park
Is a magnificent mountain territory with a relief of strong contrasts, located in the…
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Natural monuments of Asturias
Apart from these parks, one can enter the protected areas of Asturias by approaching one of its natural monuments. Centuries-old trees, beaches of exuberant beauty, caves, islands, native forests, impressive waterfalls, snorting jesters... a whole set of natural elements that require special protection given their extraordinary character.
The Natural Monuments of Asturias
Centennial trees, beaches of exuberant beauty, caves, islands, native forests, impressive...
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
