Montaña Palentina Natural park

Montaña Palentina Natural park

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  • Region: Castilla y Leon
  • Province: Palencia
  • Declared a Natural Park: (Fuentes Carrionas and Fuente Cobre-Montaña Palentina Natural Park) 1992
  • Renamed and expanded: (Montaña Palentina Natural park) 2000
  • Park surface area: 78,360 hectares
  • Towns and villages: Aguilar de Campoo, Brañosera, Castrejón de la Peña, Cervera de Pisuerga, Dehesa de Montejo, La Pernía, Polentinos, Triollo, Velilla del Río Carrión, San Cebrián de Mudá

Points of interest

The Montaña Palentina Natural Park (formerly called Fuentes Carrionas y Fuente Cobre-Montaña Palentina Natural Park) is a protected area located in the north of the province of Palencia. The Palentina Mountain range is home to the Fuentes Carrionas and Fuente del Cobre which are the sources of the Carrión and Pisuerga rivers.

This is a space of great natural, landscape, fauna and botanical value. It has the most northern mass of junipers in Europe, together with endemic species from the Cantabrian Mountains such as the Cantabrian Artemis and the Echium cantabricum.

It is a refuge for the emblematic and endangered brown bear. Also, The Cantabrian Capercaillie became extinct in the natural park at the beginning of the twenty-first century and since 2010 the European Union’s LIFE programme has supported a recovery plan for this bird.

The Ruta de los Pantanos, the “Route of Tranquil Waters”
The Ruta de los Pantanos or, the “Route of Tranquil Waters,” winds its way for a picturesque 55 kilometers through the heart of the Montaña Palentina Natural Park. This enchanting route follows the P-210 highway, seamlessly connecting the charming town of Cervera de Pisuerga to the scenic town of Velilla del Río Carrión.

This area is also a national hunting reserve, the Reserva Nacional de Caza de Fuentes Carrionas, and this was in existence prior to the designation of the natural park. It now forms a regional hunting reserve within the park boundaries. With an area of almost 50 thousand hectares the reserve covers a large part of the natural park.

Find a hotel close to the Montaña Palentina Natural park

Cervera de Pisuerga is a great place to base yourself whilst exploring the area.

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Also in the area

The Cueva del Cobre : Interesting cavity, not only because it is the source of the Pisuerga river but because of the formations and dimensions of its galleries. The route to the cave is simple but takes around 5 hours (13 kilometers.) The route starts in the Palencian town of Santa María de Redondo. (Entering the cave system is for experienced cavers with proper equipment)

The Sel de la Fuente sinkhole: In the Sierra de Híjar there is a cavity that collects the waters of the glacial cirque of the Valdecebollas peak but also this is an incredible alpine meadow and has been a summer pasture area for the cattle and horse herds of the Redondo valley (San Juan de Redondo and Santa María de Redondo) for millenia.

Information/Visitors Centers

The Brown Bear Foundation interpretation centre (Centro de Interpretación del Oso Cantábrico)

The emphasis across this region of Northern Spain is, of course, with the Cantabrian brown bear and there are four interpretation centres run by the Brown Bear Foundation.

These centres provide a fantastic opportunity to learn about the life and conservation problems of the brown bear, and its relationship with the humans with whom it shares territory. In all the Houses you can enjoy a documentary, about twenty minutes long with exhibits about the life and customs of the Cantabrian brown bear and its habitat.

Location: Easy to find In the town of Cervera de Piguera

The other bear houses interpretation centres.

See the dedicated page for the Cantabrian brown bear here: https://wildsideholidays.co.uk/cantabrian-brown-bear-ursus-arctos-oso-pardo-cantabrico/

  • Somiedo (Asturias)
  • Liébana (Cantabria)
  • The Alt Pirineu (Lleida)
Cervera de Pisuerga ethnographic museum

The town of Cervera de Pisuerga is a great base for exploring the Montaña Palentina Natural Park in the province of Palencia, Castilla y Leon. the ethnographic museum is a really interesting place to visit.

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