Oyambre Natural Park

Oyambre Natural Park
  • Region: Cantabria
  • Local towns and villages: Comillas, San Vicente de la Barquera, Udías, Valdáliga and Val de San Vicente
  • Declared a Natural Park: 1988.
  • Park surface area: 5758 hectares.

Points of interest

The Oyambre Natural Park is a Spanish protected natural area located on the western coast of Cantabria. A great success story as the park was declared after pressure from local and international ecologist groups (begining in the the seventies) protesting against urban development projects that endangered its dunes and beach environment.

The natural park, which includes the estuaries of Ría de San Vicente, Ría de la Rabia and its surroundings constitutes a magnificent example of a coastal ecosystem. In addition to cliffs, areas of meadows and native hardwood forests, there are various dune systems which together with those of the Dunas de Liencres Natural Park make up some of the most important dune ecosystems on the Cantabrian coast.

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Googles Doodle mentions the Picos de Europa national park!

The Montaña de Covadonga National Park was established in Asturias in 1918, the first national park in Spain. The, now larger, park covers three major massifs – Western, Central and Eastern which are all part of the Cordillera Cantabria range. The dramatic Cares river canyon, which is 1,500m deep, divides the western and central parts.

Today’s Doodle celebrates Picos de Europa National Park. Spread across 11 villages in northern Spain, the park is home to meadows, lakes, and a steep, sloping mountain range. On this day (the 17th of September) in 2001, the Bulnes cable car was inaugurated, which ended the isolation of the town of Bulnes which is located … Read more

Debate Ensues Over the Best Methodology for Cantabrian Bear Census as Genetic Analysis Sparks Controversy

Somiedo Experience

In the lush wilderness of the Cantabrian Mountains, an ongoing debate is stirring within the conservation community regarding the most accurate methodology for assessing the population of Cantabrian bears, an iconic and endangered species native to northern Spain.

For decades, the traditional method of estimating the bear population relied on an annual census of bears with cubs. However, recent shifts in policy by several regional governments are advocating for an exclusive reliance on genetic analysis for this purpose.

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