Picos de Europa: Spain's Limestone Giants Where Bears Still Roam
The Picos de Europa (or "Peaks of Europe") rise sharply from Spain's northern coast, forming a 20-kilometer limestone massif that symbolises some of the Cantabrian Mountains' most magnificent landscape. In 1918, this 671 km² protected area was designated as Spain's first National Park. It covers three provinces: Asturias, Cantabria, and Castile and León.
The formation is linked to the Hercynian and Alpide orogenies of the Carboniferous and Tertiary periods. During the Carboniferous Period, calcareous deposits piled on a marine platform up to 1,000 meters thick, generating the limestone that defines today's summits. The landscape is divided into three massifs: western, central, and eastern, separated by vast valleys cut by glacial action during the previous two million years.
The highest point, Torre de Cerredo, is 2,648 meters (8,690 feet), while the lowest position is 75 meters near the Deva River, representing a 2,573-meter vertical drop. The Naranjo de Bulnes (also known as Picu Urriellu) stands at 2,519 meters and is a legendary sheer rock face beloved by climbers all over the world. The Lakes of Covadonga—glacial lakes named Enol and Ercina— sit in sink holes (jous) and are among the park's most popular attractions.
Karstification, or the dissolving of limestone by water, resulted in one of the world's most significant karst landscapes. The Picos have many of the world's deepest caverns, notably Torca del Cerro (-1,589 m), Sima de la Cornisa (-1,507 m), and Torca los Rebecos (-1,255 m). Cave discoveries and investigation continue actively.
The park's habitats vary considerably with altitude: lush beech and oak forests dominate lower elevations, giving way to alpine meadows where hardy grasses grow among jagged rocks. Since 2003, the area has been designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, safeguarding 64,315 hectares and home to a population of only 1,367.
Wildlife flourishes here. The park is home to the Cantabrian brown bear (Ursus arctos), Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus), Cantabrian chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica parva), red deer, wild boar, and European otter, all of which number around 8,000. Golden eagles, griffon vultures, bearded vultures, and Cantabrian capercaillies soar overhead.
