Autumn is a mild season in which you can enjoy days, the calm and the nature. Chlorophyll green colors, yellow and orange tones and shades that stained the floor of red and magenta. Thus autumn leaves are presented to us, as a natural brush that colors our forests to make them look beautiful paintings.
Let’s find out 10 amazing places in Spain where you can admire the autumn leaves and delight the magic that nature offers us at this time of year.
1. Saja-Besaya Natural Park (Cantabria)
Among the Saja and Besaya rivers, in the heart of Cantabria, it is located the Saja-Besaya Natural Park, with an area of 245 square meters. This beautiful landscape that hides some of the most beautiful forests of Cantabria is full of oak, beech and hazelnut trees. This park is perfect for trekking other outdoor activities such as biking or climbing, thanks to the different routes adapted to all types of travelers. In addition, there is a circular route to go cycling around the entire park tour.
EcoAdvice: do the route “los 10.000 del Soplao” (either on foot or by bike) to see the famous Oak Lying (Roble Tumbado), an impressive extended trunk on the ground which is about 10 meters long and from where so thick branches that seem trees of about 20 meters high.
2. Amazing autumn leaves in Otzarreta, Gorbea Natural Park (the Basque country)
Mossy trees, the land painted in bright ocher, red and yellow colours and the sound of the creek that crosses its forests. We are talking about Otzarreta, in the Gorbeia Natural Park. This magical place Basque have so incredible variety of nature, that seems as if it were taken from the pages of a fairytale. Located in Vizcaya, beeches of the park have a peculiar attraction: its branches grow up instead of going to the sides.
3. Muniellos Forest (Asturias)
Enjoy the silence and calm broken only by the pleasing sound of the waters that flow through this oak forest. In 2000, Muniellos forest was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. Careful, currently, in order to access is necessary to request an authorization, because the access is only allowed a maximum of 20 people per day. You can download the request for authorization here.
EcoAdvice: you can visit the Muniellos Biosphere Reserve doing two different routes, the first, the easiest and more beautiful, following the path of the river; the second, the Fuenculebrera route, equally splendid, is longer and difficult. If you feel lively, you can do both circular, because both have the same start and end.
4. Fageda d’en Jordà (Catalonia)
The noise of crackling leaves our way, gold and crimson colours of its forests and green moss are unmistakable in this beautiful Nature Reserve which is growing over the mantle of lava from the Croscat volcano. These particular characteristics, in addition to the picturesque medieval villages surrounding the forest have been a source of inspiration for poets.
EcoAdvice: there are numerous companies whose objective is to provide eco-friendly experiences related to ecotourism.
5. Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Nature Reserve (Andalusia)
This Natural Park is the largest in Spain and the second in Europe. This park is typical of the north, but is in the south. You can enjoy hiking, biking, riding and doing water and air sports. Get into this thick forest where the blue Mediterranean sky, the green of its trees, snow white of its peaks and a sea of olive trees surrounding it.
EcoAdvice: in this park you can make a lot of sustainable practices that you can consult on the website dedicated to its promotion.
6. The Irati Forest and its autumn leaves (Navarre)
The Irati Forest is an impressive biggest beech-spruce woods, the second largest and best preserved in Europe. It is definitely an incredible natural paradise, in an almost virgin state, to enjoy family alone or in a large number of routes for walking or mountain biking. You can choose from routes suitable for all ages (less than 10 Km) and mountain ascents for the more experienced, to enjoy all the natural environment that leave you breathless.
7. Puerto de Honduras (Port of Honduras, Cáceres)
In the north of Caceres, this mountain port connects two large valleys, the Ambroz and Jerte, where the chestnut trees and holm oaks abound. There are beautiful views of these two impressive valleys, which means we are able to observe and enjoy the highest peaks of the Massif of Gredos. Enjoy your month to stroll among the leafy trees shaking their leaves and painting the floor with the most bright colours of the season.
8. O Courel Mountains (Galicia)
Wolves, roe deer, foxes and wild boars await you on routes that compose this beautiful Galician forest. Between the provinces of Lugo and Ourense, an ocean of meadows is shaping O Courel forest. Crossed by the Lor River you can admire a multitude of oak trees, holm oaks and chestnut trees covered in moss. We also find stone churches and hermitages built in the Middle Ages, medieval villages and Celtic fortress transforming that place into a perfect magical forest to lose and find oneself.
EcoAdvices: go ahead and try to do breathtaking trekking routes by the highest peaks of O Courel (Formigueiros, Montouto and Pía Paxaro), where the wonderful mix of colors and nature will make you feel you’re in a Monet painting.
9. Faedo de Ciñera (Castile and León)
Located in Ciñera de Gordón (in the Central Mountain from León), this tale forest was declared Best Care Forest of Spain in 2007. Fagus, considered beech tree oldest in Spain, about 500 years old and even with its own name, is placed to dominate the path traversed by the forest. We find also a coal mine (nowadays with no production activity), wooden and stone bridges, abandoned houses and even natural pools.
EcoAdvices: Faedo de Ciñera offers a tour to be discovered is quite simple and suitable for all. It is a return route of about 10 km that reaching the Giant’s stockpots (“Marmitas de Gigante”), incredible natural pools of cold water surrounded by streams and waterfalls that will leave you wanting a refreshing plunge.
10. La Laguna Negra Nature Park and the Urbión Glacial Cirques (Castile and León)
Located in the Picos de Urbión (Urbion Peaks), the park is well worth visiting all year, even though there is no doubt fall is a special time. Get into its impressive combination of contrasts, from its forest ecosystem among colorful leaves, streams and high mountain meadows to its characteristic glacial landscape, among we find several glacial lakes, such as the Black Lake (la Laguna Negra), Long Lake (la Laguna Larga) or Frost Lake (la Laguna Helada).
Cover photo by Francisco Gonzalez via Flickr