Across the Cantabrians

 It is uphill and windy roads. Nice views and scattered upland dwellings. We are in the Cantabrian Mountains.  Lets get uppity.





The mountains stretch for over 300 km across northern Spain, from the western limit of the Pyrenees to the Galician Massif in, funnily enough, Galicia, along the coast of the Cantabrian Sea. Their easternmost end meets the Sistema Ibérico.






The Cantabrian Mountains are home to the Cantabrian brown bear which is in danger of extinction, which extends from Asturias (the region where its population is bigger) to areas in Léon, Palencia and Cantabrian,  The Cantabrian capercaillie also hangs out here as does the Iberian wolf and the rebeco, or Cantabrian chamois. Woodland in the Cantabrian Mountains is generally predominated by beeches.






Many peaks are over 1,800 m high. The greatest altitudes are to be found in the central ridges on the borders of León, Asturias, Palencia and Cantabria. The Torre de Cerredo is 2,648 m, Peña Vieja 2,615 m, Peña Prieta 2,531 m and Espigüete 2,407 m.  We end today 854m above sea level.

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