The Valley of the Ancares

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The Valley of the Ancares , in León , is one of the great natural wonders in our country. There is the Bierzo region, in León, and it borders Galicia and the Principality of Asturias, so it can be said that it is in one of the most natural areas of our country, since these three Communities are the ones that have the greatest green treasures of all Spain. It comprises a total of eleven municipalities with a marked Celtic origin and a deeply rooted culture between pallozas and granaries.

All these municipalities, located next to the Ancares river , conserve vestiges of the past and form a natural heritage that is not usual in this Leonese area. From Ponferrada, the capital of El Bierzo , you must travel about 60 kilometers by road, and when you arrive it seems that the road does not continue anywhere. In the Valley of the Ancares you will discover lands and nature with spectacular beauty. This landscape is precisely what most attracts all tourists, delighted to see an environment full of holly forests, centenary oaks and chestnut trees, blueberries and strawberries, among others. In this area there are also many native animal species, such as the mountain goat, the grouse, the short-toed eagle or the Cantabrian bear.

The population of the Ancares area is linked to history and many places remain intact despite the passage of generations and time, there are still houses with thatched roofs (few but there are some) and especially slate roofs, something that characterizes these municipalities very much. I was many years ago on an excursion to León that I did with the school, and the truth is that I would love to be able to return to really appreciate it, it is already known that when we are little we do not value nature in the way we should.