Picos de Europa

P1P5

The central massif of the Picos de Europa with the peaks of Peña Main in the village Sotres

The Picos de Europa [ pikos ðewɾopa ] ( Spanish for " Top of Europe " ) is a limestone massif within the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain. It extends over parts of the autonomous communities of Asturias, Castile and León and Cantabria. The Picos de Europa is one of the most visited national parks in Spain. In these mountains the Reconquista began with the Battle of Covadonga ( 722).

The Picos de Europa are a fold mountain with a distinctive karst landscape from the time of the Carboniferous, which was formed by collision of the Iberian Peninsula with the African plate. In the Picos de Europa are on a very compact area about 200 peaks over 2,000 meters. The highest peak of the mountain is the Torre de Cerredo with 2,648 m. One of the most famous peaks of the mountain range is the Naranjo de Bulnes ( Spanish for "The Orange Bulnes ", 2,518 m ) or on Asturian " Pico Urriello " an extremely difficult on some routes and heavily used, especially in the summer months mountain. Due to the proximity to the sea ( about 20 km ) is characterized the climate of the mountain chain of high humidity and ample rainfall.

The Picos de Europa are composed of three sub- massifs:

  • Western Picos de Europa or El Cornión
  • Central Picos de Europa or Los Urrieles
  • Eastern Picos de Europa or Andara

National Park Picos de Europa

In the Picos de Europa is the National Park Picos de Europa with the same name. It was established on 22 July 1918 as a Spanish national park with the original name Parque Nacional de la Montaña de Covadonga and a size of 16,925 hectares and included on 30 May 1995 an area of ​​64 660 hectares. Since 2003, the National Park Picos de Europa is a designated by the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The forests in the Picos de Europa are varied. One can find beautiful beech and oak forests, which are typical of northern Spain, but also trees and plants such as stone or cork oak, which usually grow in areas with a Mediterranean climate. Pines and firs, which are widespread in the Pyrenees, do not belong to the autochthonous flora of the Cantabrian Mountains.

In the national park there are refuges of many endangered species such as the capercaillie, the European brown bear, the Iberian wolf; the bearded vulture has been eradicated in the 50s, trying to make him a resident again - many, however, are the chamois, wild boar, roe deer, red deer and golden eagles.

Gallery

Lamedo

Mirador " El Cable "

Lago Enol

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