The Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme – Biospheres in Spain run by UNESCO is an intergovernmental programme that aims to establish a scientific basis for enhancing the relationship between people and their environments. It combines the natural and social sciences with a view to improving human livelihoods and safeguarding natural and managed ecosystems, thus promoting innovative approaches to economic development that are socially and culturally appropriate and environmentally sustainable.

The World Network of Biosphere Reserves currently has 714 sites in 129 countries all over the world. Spain now has a total of 52 biosphere reserves, confirming its leadership as the country with the largest number of these protected spaces in the world. The Spanish Network of Biosphere Reserves now occupies more than 6 million hectares, or 12% of the national territory, in which close to 2 million people live.

In Spain the biosphere reserves can have multiple protected areas within very large areas including towns, villages and natural areas such as Natural Parks (Parque Natural), Marine Reserves (Reserva Marina del Estado), Special Bird Protection Zones (Zona de Especial Protección para las Aves (ZEPA), Conservation areas (Zona de Espacial Conservación (ZEC), Mediterranean Protection Zones Zona (Especialmente Protegida de Importancia para el Mediterráneo (ZEPIM), RAMSAR Wetland Reserves (Zona Húmeda de Importancia Internacional (Convenio de Ramsar) and Geoparks (Geoparque Mundial de UNESCO)

Below is the list of biosphere reserves in Spain, each one with a link to the relevant protected area information pages published here at Wildside Holidays. Remember that many of these areas have been previously declared as Natural or National parks before being incorporated into the much larger zones (hence two declaration dates for some biospheres, the first being the Natural Park declaration date).

Biosphere reserves in Andalucia

• Cabo de Gata – Nijar – Almería – 1997
• Doñana – Huelva y Sevilla – 1980
• Sierra Nevada – Granada – 1986, 2012
• Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas – Jaén – 1983
• Sierra de Grazalema – Malaga, Cádiz -1977
• Sierra de las Nieves – Málaga – 1995
• Dehesas de Sierra Morena – Huelva, Sevilla y Córdoba – 2002
• Marismas de Odiel – Huelva – 1983, 2018

Biosphere reserves in Asturias

• Somiedo – 2000
• Las Ubiñas la Mesa – 2012
• Picos de Europa – 2003
• Ponga – 2018
• Muniellos – 2000, 2003
• Redes – Asturias – 2001
• Rio Eo, Oscos y Terras de Burón – Galicia (Lugo) and Asturias – 2007

Biosphere reserves in Aragón

Ordesa – Viñamala – Huesca – 1977, 2013

Biosphere reserves in Castilla y Leon

• Babia – León – 2004
• El Alto Bernesga – León – 2005
• Los Argüellos – León – 2005
• Los Valles de Omaña y Luna – León – 2005, 2019
• Las Sierras de Béjar y Francia – León – 2006
• Los Ancares Leoneses – León – 2006
• Picos de Europa – 2003
• Valle de Laciana – León – Castilla y León – 2003
• Transfronteriza Meseta Ibérica – Zamora y Salamanca – (Castilla y León/España and Portugal) – 2015
• Real Sitio de San Idelfonso y El Espinar – Segovia – 2013

Biosphere reserves in Castilla la Mancha

• Mancha Húmeda – Ciudad Real, Cuenca y Toledo – 1980, 2014
• Valle del Cabriel – Albacete, Cuenca, Teruel, Valencia – 2019

Biosphere reserves in Cantabria

• Picos de Europa – 2003

Biosphere reserves in Cataluña

• Terres de L’Ebre – Tarragona – 2013 (Also Parque Natural del Massís dels Ports)
• Montseny – Barcelona y Girona – 1978, 2014

Biosphere reserves in Extremadura

• Monfragüe – Cáceres – 2003
• La Siberia – Badajoz – 2019
• Tajo tejo Internacional– Cáceres – (/España and Portugal) – 2016

Biosphere reserves in the Balearic islands

• Menorca – 1993, 2003, 2019

Biosphere reserves in the Canary islands

• El Hierro – Santa Cruz de Tenerife – 2000
• Fuerteventura – Las Palmas – 2009
• Gran Canaria – Las Palmas – 2005
• La Gomera – Santa Cruz de Tenerife – 2012
• La Palma – Santa Cruz de Tenerife – 1983, 2002
• Lanzarote – Las Palmas – 1993
• Macizo de Anaga – Santa Cruz de Tenerife – 2015

Biosphere reserves in Galicia

• Area de Allariz – Orense – 2005
• Los Ancares Lucenses y Montes de Cervantes, Navia y Becerrea – 2006
• Mariñas Coruñesas e Terras de Mandeo – A Coruña – 2013
• Terras de Miño – Lugo – Galicia – 2002
• Rio Eo, Oscos y Terras de Burón – Lugo y Asturias – (Galicia/Asturias) – 2007
• Transfronteriza Géres-Xurés – Orense – (Galicia-España and Portugal) – 2009

Biosphere reserves in La Rioja

• Valles de Leza, Jubera, Cidacos y Alhama – 2003

Biosphere reserves in Madrid

• Cuencas Altas de los rios manzanares, Lozoya y Guadarrama – 1992
• Sierra del Rincon – 2005

Biosphere reserves in Navarra

• Bardenas Reales de Navarra – 2000

Biosphere reserves in País Vasco

• Urdaibai – Bizcaia – 1984

Biosphere reserves in Valencian Community

Alto Turia – Cuenca, Valencia 2019
Valle del Cabriel – Albacete, Cuenca, Teruel, Valencia – 2019

Biosphere reserves Spain and Morocco

• Intercontinental del Mediterraneo – Morroco and Spain (Aguas intermedias) 2006

The official website detailing bio reserves in Spain is here: http://rerb.oapn.es/red-espanola-de-reservas-de-la-biosfera/reservas-de-la-biosfera-espanolas/listado

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