About the destination
The Fuentes del Narcea, Degaña e Ibias Natural Park and the Muniellos-Fuentes del Narcea Biosphere Reserve are home to the best oak groves in Spain and a great diversity of wildlife in the Cantabrian region.
This Biosphere Reserve is the largest sanctuary of endangered Cantabrian fauna like the Brown bear, the Cantabrian Capercaillie or the Iberian wolf. There are samples of glacial modelling with a lot of glacial basins and quarries with mires and little lakes such as Arbás, Fuentes del Narcea, Chagueños or Fasgueo.
The villages have vibrant traditions linked to traditional human uses of the land and craft-making, like the cortinos” and “talameiros” (two types of special hives built to protect the bee from the bear); or the cunqueiru (the person that makes kitchen wooden tools using an old pedal lathe). There are plenty of opportunities to learn first hand these traditions thanks to ecotourism and a network of committed hosts and guides.
Ecotourism experiences
Fuentes del Narcea is all about getting hands-on with your local hosts in their daily activities. You can learn about the origins of the xalda wool and how it goes from sheep to thread to make your own objects. You will be shown the natural and traditional processes of weaving wool, as well as its use in authentic low heddle looms to discover the fabrics and embroidery that were used in ancient times.
On another day, you can join the local baker to make authentic sourdough bread using only your own hands and flour from the old village mill. You will learn the local recipe of the “preñado” bread and taste it when it is done with a glass of wine D.O. Cangas.
For further information and bookings
You can live this experience together with our local ecotourism host. Please enquire to Ecoagrotours on +34 647 582 954 or by email at ecoagrotours@ecotur.es to check availability and your preferred dates.
This experience is part of the 2022 Ecotourism Escapes Brochure (only in Spanish)
The Ecotourism Club in Spain groups together destinations and companies which guarantee, by fulfilling a series of requirements, their commitment to conservation and local sustainable development. That is why it has created its own brand “Ecotourist in Spain” and the website www.ecotouristinspain.com, where you can find protected areas, accommodation and companies which offer their tourism services, as well as experiences and activities committed to the preservation of the area in which they take place.
