Ecotourism commitment
Conserving the Picos de Europa
The Picos de Europa National Park is an ecosystem where the geographical location, altitude and verticality of its mountains make it a unique place that houses a variety of forests, a spectacular fauna and a unique geology, all in coexistence with humans.
From the beginning we have been committed to the need to maintain this coexistence between the tourism sector, livestock, dairies and, of course, the protection of this natural area.
The Picos de Europa National Park is an ecosystem where the geographical location, altitude and verticality of its mountains make it a unique place that houses a variety of forests, a spectacular fauna and a unique geology, all in coexistence with humans .
Its 66,030 hectares are divided between three provinces, Asturias, Leon and Cantabria. Here there are 38 peaks of more than 2,500 meters, with the Torrecerredo peak of 2,649 meters as the roof of the National Park and the Cantabrian mountain range.
From the beginning we have been committed to the need to maintain this coexistence between the tourism sector, livestock, cheese dairies and, of course, the protection of this natural area.
The National Park has been inhabited by humans for thousands of years, the shepherds built their huts for protection and also traced the trails that today visitors and mountaineers explore.
The maintenance of traditional uses, together with the presence of cheese dairies where famous cheeses such as Gamoneu, Cabrales, Picón, Valdeón blue cheese or Beyos cheese are produced, are essential for the maintenance of the ecosystems and the landscape.
It is also vital, of course, the protection of this natural space, that is why in Ecopicos de Europa we have acquired this commitment with the reduction of the carbon footprint, the environmental protection and the transmission of these values to the youngest, who in the future will be the ones who will take care of this space.
Ecotourism Association Ecopicos de Europa
In 2020 this association was created whose main motivation is to take advantage of tourism as a tool to conserve this natural area and also to visualize and enhance the value of a way of life based on extensive livestock, grazing and cheese making.
In it we associate lodgings, activity companies, travel agencies and cheese makers, small companies that share the same point of view of understanding a conservative and sustainable tourism, which helps the visitor to know this territory and in turn to integrate its inhabitants as fundamental parts in the Picos de Europa.
Destination and certified ecotourism companies
In 2022, with support from the Principality of Asturias, the Picos de Europa National Park destination and a selection of companies joined Soy Ecoturista, meeting the necessary requirements of sustainability and contribution to conservation and local development. In 2023, thanks to various tourism sustainability plans in Onís, Liébana and Montaña de Riaño, new companies linked to the Picos de Europa destination were incorporated.
All of them are part of the association Ecopicos de Europa, which is responsible for collaborating with the Association of Ecotourism in Spain, the National Park and the entities of the territory to maintain this adhesion.
Our commitment to ecotourism translates into the promotion of responsible tourism practices, promoting activities that respect the integrity of the ecosystem and encouraging environmental education among visitors, tourists and inhabitants of the National Park.