At Green Spain Ecotourism Reserve,identifying plants and wildlife is much more than an activity: it's a way of reconnecting with nature, gaining in-depth knowledge and contributing to its conservation. From lush Atlantic woodlands and forests to sand dunes and mountain landscapes, each ecosystem is home to some truly extraordinary biodiversity that you can explore respectfully, at your own pace.
As you travel along the protected spaces in northern Spain, you’ll come across ancient trees, wild orchids, migratory birds, emblematic mammals such as the brown bear or the Iberian wolf, and even whales and dolphins slicing through the waters around the Bay of Biscay. A transformative experience that invites us to change our perspective and value what’s truly important: the life that surrounds us.
Explore the flora and forests of the Green Spain Ecotourism Reserve It's like immersing yourself in a mosaic of landscapes where plant biodiversity is the star attraction. With more than 2.500 species of native vascular plants, the protected areas of Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country, and Galicia offer unique settings for botanical observation, interpretive hiking, and a reconnection with natural cycles.
From age-old oak groves and ancestral chestnut trees, to swathes of beech forest straight out of a fairy tale, the north of the Iberian Peninsula is home to dense Atlantic forests and woodlands, although there is also some clear Mediterranean influence in certain spots, especially around the area of Álava. You will also come across plant life that has adapted to the extreme conditions of the high mountains, as well as coastal vegetation sprinkled across sand dunes and cliffs. Each natural space reveals a different landscape with distinctive species that find shelter in these unique ecosystems.
The Courel Mountains Xeopark (Galicia), for example, you can spot up to 21 different species of orchids, while in the Picos de Europa National Park and Biosphere Reserve (Asturias) and the ZEC Liébana (Cantabria) there is an exceptional community of alpine plants with sempervivum, ranunculus, saxifrage (rockfoils) and other species that survive in extreme conditions. The island of Cortegada, in the Maritime-Terrestrial National Park of the Atlantic Islands Galicia (Galicia), is home to the largest laurel forest in Europe. Oak groves also play a prominent role: that of Arratzu, in the Urdaibai Basque Reserve (Euskadi), preserves centuries-old specimens that refer to the ancient medieval forests; that of Muniellos, in the Fuentes del Narcea, Degaña and Ibias Natural Park and Biosphere Reserve (Asturias), is one of the best preserved in Europe; and in the Izk Natural Parki (Euskadi), one of the most extensive and unique oak groves on the peninsula extends.
Observation of flora in the Ecotourism Reserve It's an invitation to look at things differently: to focus on the small details, to recognize unique shapes and colors, and to appreciate the essential role vegetation plays in the balance of ecosystems. All this is guided by expert guides and in places where conservation is a fundamental part of the experience.
Watching wildlife in the wild is one of the most exciting experiences you can have in nature. In the Green Spain Ecotourism ReserveThis experience takes on a unique dimension as it takes place in protected areas of enormous ecological value, where emblematic species coexist with other, more discreet, but equally fascinating ones.
In the forests of Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country, and Galicia, the majestic Cantabrian brown bear moves between beech and oak groves, sharing its habitat with the Iberian wolf, the wild cat, the roe deer, and the European red deer. During the autumn, the rut of the deer is one of nature's greatest spectacles, especially in places like the Parque Natural y Reserva de la Biosfera de Redes (Asturias), the ZEC High Valleys Nansa, Saja and Alto Campoo (Cantabria) or the Gorbeia Natural Park (Euskadi). The forests of the Ecotourism Reserve They also host a rich community of forest birds that find refuge in spaces such as the Izki Natural Park and the Gorbeia Natural Park (Euskadi), or the Natural Park and Biosphere Reserve of Fuentes del Narcea, Degaña and Ibias (Asturias), where its observation is especially gratifying.
The high mountains, present in protected natural areas such as the Picos de Europa National Park and Biosphere Reserve’s most emblematic landmarks, the Somiedo Natural Park and Biosphere Reserve and the Las Ubiñas-La Mesa Natural Park and Biosphere Reserve, all of them in Asturias, the Ancares mountain range, in the Os Ancares Lucenses and Montes de Cervantes, Navia and Becerreá Biosphere Reserve in Galicia, and ZEC Liébana In Cantabria, it's home to chamois, bearded vultures, rock partridges, white-capped blackbirds, and other alpine birds such as the rock thrush, the alpine accentor, the alpine sparrow, and the wallcreeper. It's also on these peaks where you can observe the bearded vulture, one of the symbols of the Cantabrian mountain range's fauna.
Along the coastal strip, wildlife viewing extends to the estuaries, marshes, cliffs, and open waters of the Cantabrian and Atlantic Seas. In estuaries such as Villaviciosa, the Eo, and the Miera, and in wetlands such as Salburua and Urdaibai, it is possible to spot otters and a wide variety of aquatic birds, such as spoonbills, herons, waders, and ducks. And on the cliffs and beaches of Galicia, Cantabria, and the Basque Country, you can observe resident birds such as shags and yellow-legged gulls, as well as gannets and shearwaters during their migratory routes.
The waters of the Cantabrian Sea are also home to surprising marine biodiversity. At certain times of the year, it is possible to spot beaked whales, pilot whales, dolphins, sperm whales, and even enormous fin and blue whales from specialized boats. And beneath the surface, the seabed of the Maritime-Terrestrial National Park of the Atlantic Islands and Mariñas Coruñesas and Terras do Mandeo Biosphere Reserve in Galicia, or the Costa Quebrada Geopark In Cantabria, they allow you to see fish, mollusks, starfish and other invertebrates.
The Ecotourism Reserve is also home to unique species such as the ocellated lizard, whose presence is particularly striking in seemingly isolated places such as the island of Ons, in the Maritime-Terrestrial National Park of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia, where it finds one of its last island refuges in the north. Although it is a common and widely distributed species on the peninsula—especially in the Mediterranean—in Green Spain it is also relatively common in open, sunny areas. Along with it, a wide variety of amphibians such as the St. Anthony's frog or the long-tailed salamander are especially present in humid mountain areas or inland wetlands. In addition, the ZEC Salburua, some enclaves of the Basque Coast Geopark and the wetlands of the Izki Natural Park, all in Euskadi, are a refuge for the agile frog
Wildlife observation in the Green Spain Ecotourism Reserve It is an invitation to learn, with respect and admiration, about the behavior of species in the wild, understand their role in the ecosystem, and contribute to their conservation. All this is accompanied by the silence of the forest, the murmur of the water, and the privilege of seeing wildlife in its natural habitat.
