The Picos de Europa National Park ( es, Parque Nacional de Picos de Europa) is a National Park in the

Picos de Europa The Picos de Europa ("Peaks of Europe", also the Picos) are a mountain range extending for about , forming part of the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain. The range is situated in the Autonomous Communities of Asturias, Cantabria and Castil ...

mountain range, in northern

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It is within the boundaries of three

autonomous communities eu, autonomia erkidegoa ca, comunitat autònoma gl, comunidade autónoma oc, comunautat autonòma an, comunidat autonoma ast, comunidá autónoma , alt_name = , map = , category = Autonomous administra ...

Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensiv ...

Cantabria Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a historic community, in its current Statute of Autonomy. It is bordered on the east ...

and Castile and León, which are represented on the body which runs the park. The park is also a popular destination for hikers and trekkers.

History

It was the first of the

National Parks of Spain There are sixteen national parks in Spain: eleven in the Iberian Peninsula, four in the Canary Islands and one in the Balearic Islands. Twelve of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain have national parks. Canary Islands has the most ( ...

. When it was created 22 July 1918 with help from Pedro Pidal, 1st Marquess of Villaviciosa de Asturias, it covered the western part of today's national park, centered on the

Lakes of Covadonga The Lakes of Covadonga (el. 1134 m.) are composed of two glacial lakes located on the region of Asturias, Spain. These lakes, often also called Lakes of Enol or simply Los Lagos, are Lake Enol and Lake Ercina located in the Picos d ...

. The ''Parque Nacional de la Montaña de

Covadonga Covadonga ( Asturian: ''Cuadonga'', from ''cova domnica'' "Cave of Our Lady"Juan Gil Fernández, José L. Moralejo, Juan Ignacio Ruiz de la Peña, ''Crónicas asturianas'', Universidad de Oviedo, 1985, p. 203.) is one of 11 parishes in Ca ...

'', as it then was called, had an area of 169.25 km². On 30 May 1995 and then on 3 December 2014, the park was extended to include its current total area of 671.27 km². On 9 July 2003,

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

approved

Biosphere Reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

status for the National Park. Picos de Europa is one of several biosphere reserves in the

Cantabrian Mountains , etymology=Named after the Cantabri , photo=Cordillera Cantábrica vista desde el Castro Valnera.jpg , photo_caption=Cantabrian Mountains parallel to the Cantabrian Sea seen from Castro Valnera in an east-west direction. In the background, ...

which are being integrated into a single super-reserve to be known as "Gran Cantábrica"..

Geography

The total area of the park is 671 km² and is shared by

Castilla y León Castile, Castille or Castilla may refer to: Places Spain *Castile (historical region), a vaguely defined historical region of Spain covering most of Castile and León, all of the Community of Madrid and most of Castilla–La Mancha *Kingdom of ...

, and

. The highest point of the park is in Torre de Cerredo peak, 2,648 m AMSL and the lowest point is 75 m AMSL in the

Deva River The Deva is a river in Northern Spain, flowing through the Autonomous Communities of Cantabria and Asturias until it flows into Tina Mayor, an estuary. Its main tributaries are the Cares and Urdón rivers, among others. Deva is the name of a C ...

, that is, a vertical drop of 2,573 m. The

geological Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other E ...

features of the park show the effects of

glacial A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betwe ...

erosion on the

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

massifs that form the

. The human population is about 1300. Vega de Liordes, an enclave in the León sector of Picos de Europa belonging to the municipality of Posada de Valdeón registered , a record low temperature, on January 7, 2021.

Flora and fauna

Several types of woods can be found in the area; trees include beeches and Cantabrian Holm Oaks. There are many protected animal species, like the

Cantabrian capercaillie The Cantabrian capercaillie (''Tetrao urogallus cantabricus'') is a subspecies of the western capercaillie in the grouse family Tetraonidae. It is one of two subspecies found in Spain. Description The capercaillie is a large grouse, in length, ...

(''Tetrao urogallus cantabricus''), the

Bearded vulture The bearded vulture (''Gypaetus barbatus''), also known as the lammergeier and ossifrage, is a very large bird of prey and the only member of the genus ''Gypaetus''. Traditionally considered an Old World vulture, it actually forms a separate mi ...

(''Gypaetus barbatus''), the Cantabrian brown bear and the Iberian wolf (''Canis lupus signatus''). The most representative animal of the Picos de Europa is the Cantabrian chamois (''Rupicapra pyrenaica parva'') or rebeco, of which there are many sculptures around the park.

References

External links

Official web of the Spanish Ministry of EnvironmentInformation and tourism officeiberianature.com - English-language web site on nature in Spain and Portugal
{{Authority control Green Spain National parks of Spain Biosphere reserves of Spain Protected areas of Asturias Protected areas of Cantabria Protected areas of Castile and León Picos de Europa Protected areas established in 1918 Cantabrian Mountains Primeval Beech Forests in Europe Natural parks of Asturias Natural parks of Cantabria

History

Geography

Flora and fauna

See also

References

External links