Asturias Tourist Guide 2018

Muniellos Forest Nature Reserve (Cangas del Narcea and Ibias)

Explore paradise #NaturalParadise

Submerge yourself into the magic forest Only 20 people per day can enjoy the experience of travelling through the Muniellos Forest, the largest oak grove in Spain and one of the best-preserved in Europe. You need to book far enough in advance. The route is mapped out, is circular and is 20 kilometres long. It’s free but you can pay for a guide. It takes about seven hours and covers a slop of 600 m. You need to bring appropriate

One thing Asturians are proud of is their region’s nature: its mysterious forests and coastline left unscathed by the whirlwind of property developments, its salmon rivers and steep mountains, ideal for rock climbers and hikers. Arising from this pride is a magnificent conservation that has led to more than a third of Asturias’ territory being declared as national and international protected areas and the best-preserved coastline in Spain. From reserves, parks, protected landscapes to natural monuments, there is a total of 54 places that stand out for their landscape, geology or botany.

The only way to understand this passion for nature is to experience it. In order to get to explore it, you need to pack in your suitcase appropriate clothes and shoes. The exploration begins with the 6 UNESCO-listed Biosphere Reserves in the Principality. The Picos de Europa’s reserve was Spain’s first National Park, protected since 1918. Rising up in the centre of this park is the Picu Urriellu, a real magnet for rock climbers, which then opens onto the Lakes of Covadonga. Fuentes del Narcea, Degaña and Ibias is a Nature Park with totemic fauna including the brown bear and capercaillie. Within this park you will also find the Muniellos Forest Nature Reserve and El Cueto de Arbás Partial Nature Reserve. The brown bear’s habitat extends up to Somiedo which, as well as being a Biosphere Reserve, became the first Nature Park in Asturias (1988). Its lake, El Valle, is the biggest in the region and its brañas (high-

mountain clothing and food. There is no bar or shop along the route.