With a surface area of 64,660 hectares, it is the second largest National Reserve and is located in the Autonomous Regions of Cantabria, Castilla y León and Principado de Asturias. It runs through ten townships:
In Asturias: Amieva, Cangas de Onís, Onis, Cabrales and Peñamellera Baja.
In León: Oseja de Sajambre and Posada de Valdeón.
In Cantabria: Camaleño, Cillórigo-Castro and Tresviso.
Cangas de Onís contributes 7,119 hectares to the surface area of the National Reserve, over one-third of the total extension of the municipality.
The capital, Cangas de Onís, is situated at the confluence of the rivers Sella and Gueña.
The National Reserve of Picos de Europa is an extension of the National Reserve of the Mountain of Covadonga, which was created in 1918, and is the largest National Reserve in Spain.
Act 16/1995 declares the creation of the new area which was set up for the purpose of protecting the Picos de Europa.
Division of the area into three massifs
The Reserve includes the massif of the Picos de Europa and part of the Cantabrian Mountain Range. The entire region of the Picos is divided up into three massifs:
The Western massif or massif of Cornión, which can be reached through Cangas de Onís, between the rivers Sella and Cares.
The Central massif or mass of los Urrielles, which runs between the Gorge of the Cares and the river Duje, which can be reached through Cabrales.
The Eastern massif, or massif of Andara, between the rivers Duje and Deva.
Geological origin
Its geological origin is characterised by a predominance of limestone and glacier modelling that took place during the Quaternary Period.
Vega de Enol is a fine example of a glacier valley.
There are also well-preserved morrenic deposits in Entrelagos.
On the other hand, the intensive karstification is predominant in this massif, generating characteristic shapes such as jous, ravines or gorges and canyons.
Vegetation
The most important species of vegetation found in the National Reserve are mixed forests (up to an altitude of 500 m), in which oak, , ash and linden trees are the most predominant, together with chestnut, birch, hazelnut, maple and holly, among others.
Above 500 m are oak, beech and birch trees, with yews and holly.
At an altitude of more than 1,500 m, the trees disappear, giving way to shrubs and above 2,00 m., only certain plants survive, which are able to live at that altitude.
The most important forests in the Region of Cangas de Onís in the Reserve are Orandi - Monte Auseva - Pome - Cerezal - Palomberu.
Fauna
With respect to the fauna, we should mention the chamois, which is the most representative of all mammals in the Picos de Europa, together with the golden eagle, capercaillie, brown bear, wolf, tawny vulture, goshawk, salmon, genet, wildcat, fox, and badger, in addition to a wide variety of small mammals, amphibians, and fish.
Activities carried out in the National Reserve
Inside the Reserve, agricultural activity is reduced to the use of land for grazing and the fruit of certain trees and plants. The system used for breeding cattle, sheep, goats and horses is based on extensive farming, mainly during the 5 or 6 months they remain in the mountain pastures.
Several local cheeses are manufacture in the National Reserve. In the municipality of Cangas de Onís, a cheese known as Gamoneu (Gamonedo), which is made of cow, sheep and goat milk, and is not widely produced, which means there are few marketing channels.
