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18-521: The massif of Fuentes Carrionas is a mountain range belonging to Spain's Cantabrian Mountains . The massif is in the north of the province of Palencia , and also falls within the boundaries of province of León and Cantabria . The range has seasonal snow cover and is the source of the river Carrión . Its highest peak is Peña Prieta , with 2538 m. 43°00′49″N 4°43′53″W  /  43.0136°N 4.73139°W  / 43.0136; -4.73139 Cantabrian Mountains These mountains are

36-410: A distinct physiographic province of the larger Alpine System physiographic division . The Cantabrian Mountains offer a wide range of trails for hiking , as well as many challenging climbing routes. Skiing is possible in the ski resorts of Alto Campoo , Valgrande-Pajares, Fuentes de Invierno, San Isidro, Leitariegos and Manzaneda. The Cantabrian Mountains stretch east-west, nearly parallel to

54-669: A territorial brand (in 1989) by the autonomous communities of Galicia, the Principality of Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country, with the support of Turespaña , whose objective is to position the Cantabrian coast as an alternative tourist destination in the international market. The climate and landscape are determined by the Atlantic Ocean winds whose moisture gets trapped by the mountains circumventing

72-518: Is dry and much warmer than the inner plateau, where rain is present. The average precipitation is about 1,200 millimetres (47 in), higher than in most areas in inland central Europe, and wetter than almost anywhere in Spain, a country generally considered dry (the main exception to this northernly rainfall trend is the Sierra de Grazalema , in the southern province of Cádiz , with mountains that block

90-630: The Cantabrian brown bear ( Ursus arctos pyrenaicus ), catalogued as being in danger of extinction, which extends from Asturias (the region where its population is bigger) to areas in Léon , Palencia and Cantabria , and the Cantabrian capercaillie ( T. urogallus cantabricus ). Other animals associated with the range include the Iberian wolf ( Canis lupus signatus ) and the rebeco , or Cantabrian chamois ( Rupicapra pyrenaica parva ). Woodland in

108-639: The Cares River valley. Highest point Torre de Cerredo 2,648 m. The main mountains of this zone are the massive Picos de Europa . They are composed of Carboniferous limestone and marl . The Paramo de Masa and La Lora grasslands are located in the south crossed by the Rudrón Valley . The Basque Mountains at the eastern end of the system, with very eroded Mesozoic folds and ranges of moderate height: The Cantabrian Mountains are home to an important variety of plant life, as well as

126-670: The Picos de Europa , to which range the Peña Vieja also belongs, rises on the right bank of the Sella to a height of 8,045 feet (2,452 m); further west the peaks of Manpodres , Peña Ubiña , Peña Rubia and Cuiña all exceed 7,000 feet (2,100 m). A conspicuous feature of the chain, as of the adjacent tableland, is the number of its parameras, isolated plateaus shut in by lofty mountains or even by precipitous walls of rock. The Cantabrian Mountains sharply divide " Green Spain ", to

144-601: The Atlantic moisture-carrying winds and which is, indeed, the most rainy place in Spain). Asturias has an average summer temperature of 20-22 °C, being one of the mildest climates in Europe. Most of the rain comes from the Atlantic through Galicia, the western part of Green Spain. Depending on the latitude of entry, this wet air can drop to the south, or more likely stay and run through the north stretch of land, pushed north by

162-674: The Cantabrian Mountains is generally predominated by beeches ( Fagus sylvatica ). The Pyrenean ibex ( Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica ), one of the four subspecies of the Iberian ibex ( Capra pyrenaica ), which used to inhabit the Cantabrian Mountains, became extinct in 2000. The Cantabrian mountain range includes several protected areas such as the Picos de Europa National Park, which is one of several Cantabrian parks included in UNESCO 's World Network of Biosphere Reserves . Some of

180-839: The Cantabrian Sea, as far as the Pass of Leitariegos, also extending south between León and Galicia. The range's western boundary is marked by the valley of the river Minho ( Spanish : Miño ), by the lower Sil , which flows into the Miño, and by the Cabrera River , a small tributary of the Sil. The Cantabrian Mountains reach their south-western limit in Portugal. As a whole, the Cantabrian Mountains are remarkable for their intricate ramifications, but almost everywhere, and especially in

198-416: The Cantabrian mountains. The main native tree species of this biome are beech and oak . However, since the second half of the 20th century, in some areas (especially in coastal areas), native forests have been replaced by plantations of eucalyptus and Monterey Pine for its commercial exploitation in the paper industry . The Pyrenees , which sometimes are considered in the same geologic system as

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216-571: The Spanish Atlantic façade. Because of the Foehn effect , the southern slopes fall inside the rain shadow zone and so Green Spain contrasts starkly with the drier central plateau of Spain. Conversely, in those brief episodes when the southwestern winds blow through the mountains (especially during October and November ), the effect reverses: the northern coast gets inside the Foehn winds and

234-461: The east to about 115 miles (185 km) in the west. Many peaks are over 6,000 feet (1,800 m) high, but the greatest altitudes are attained in the central ridges on the borders of León , Asturias , Palencia and Cantabria . Here are the highest peak Torre de Cerredo (8,688 feet (2,648 m)), Peña Vieja (8,579 feet (2,615 m)), Peña Prieta (8,304 feet (2,531 m)) and Espigüete (7,898 feet (2,407 m)); an unnamed summit in

252-460: The east, it is possible to distinguish two principal ranges, from which the lesser ridges and mountain masses radiate. One range, or series of ranges, closely follows the outline of the coast; the other, which is loftier, forms the northern limit of the great tableland of Castile and León , and is sometimes regarded as a continuation of the Pyrenees. In some parts the coastal range rises sheer above

270-505: The north, from the dry central plateau . The north facing slopes receive heavy cyclonic rainfall from the Cantabrian Sea, whereas the southern slopes are in rain shadow . The Cantabrian Range has three very distinct sections from west to east: The Asturian Massif and its foothills. Geologically it is an eastern prolongation of the Galician Massif with Paleozoic folds. It is cut by deep east-west oriented canyons such as

288-552: The northern parts of the Basque Country , as well as a small portion of Navarre . It is often referred to as Green Spain (a direct translation into English of the Spanish España Verde ) because its wet and temperate oceanic climate helps lush pastures and forests thrive, providing a landscape similar to that of Ireland , Great Britain , and the west coast of France . This denomination has been made

306-449: The sea, and everywhere has so abrupt a declivity that the streams which flow seaward are all short and swift. The descent from the southern range to the high plateaux of Castile is more gradual, and several large rivers, notably the Ebro , rise here and flow to the south or west. The breadth of the Cantabrian chain, with all its ramifications, increases from about 60 mi (97 km); in

324-682: The sites are included in the European Union 's Natura 2000 network and Special Protection Areas for the Conservation of Wild Birds. Green Spain Cantabrian Coast is the name given to a lush natural region in Northern Spain , stretching along the Atlantic coast from the border with Portugal to the border with France . The region includes nearly all of Galicia , Asturias , and Cantabria , in addition to

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