Las Ubiñas-La Mea Natural Park
Discover this wonderful place
The environmental values that define La Ubiñas-La Mesa Natural Park, also declared a Biosphere Reserve, are its biological diversity and its magnificent state of conservation.
It is home to an extraordinary biological richness, making it one of the few enclaves where it is still possible to observe the majestic brown bear. In the dense forest masses, it is possible to see capercaillies, which share their habitat with other species characteristic of these ecosystems, such as the wolf, wild boar, fox, genet, wild cat, stoat and badger.
In the high mountain areas, roe deer, red deer and chamois roam the landscapes together with large birds of prey that nest in the mountain ranges. Among these are the eagle, the vulture, the Egyptian vulture and the peregrine falcon, which soar through the skies of the region.
The presence of species such as the otter and the desman, both catalogued as being of special interest in the Regional Catalog, is evidence of the high environmental value of the waters that flow through the park.
In addition to the environmental richness, there are numerous cultural values of great relevance. Among them is one of the most important cave stations in the northwest of the peninsula: the Fresnedo Cave Shelters, which house pictorial representations from the Bronze and Iron Ages. There are also vestiges of the Castro period, although the most emblematic elements are the Vía Carisa and the Camino Real de la Mesa, ancient Roman roads that date back to the times of the first indigenous Asturians and connected the region with the Leonese plateau.
Excellent examples of traditional Asturian mountain architecture can still be seen in the surrounding villages. These dwellings, built in stone and equipped with wooden corridors, reflect a way of life adapted to the environment. Also coexisting with these nuclei were the brañas, summer grazing areas where simple stone huts covered with tile or broom, known as teitos, were erected. In these areas there are also the "corros" or "cabanos", circular stone constructions with a false dome.