We are lucky to live in a country with great landscape and geographic wealth that we must preserve. Fortunately, many of our natural spaces are included in protection programs at the national and international levels. Of course, there are others who have not yet achieved this type of distinction. It is the case of The Loras, a region located to the east of the Cantabrian Mountains that next year could become part of the UNESCO Global Network of Geoparks, which already includes 10 territories of our country.
Today in Hard Hobbit To Break we moved to this beautiful place that hides a spectacular geological, natural and cultural heritage. Would you like to join us? We assure you that you will not regret it!
Location
The Las Loras region is a beautiful territory that is made up of 16 municipalities (11 in Burgos and 5 in Palencia), which originates from a seabed created 200 million years ago, during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Through the centuries the place has gone molding due to tectonic folding and erosive agents. The surprising thing is that, despite having been inhabited since prehistory, human activity has barely transformed the landscape.
Natural and geological heritage
We could define Las Loras as an extensive mountainous territory bordering Cantabria that represents a spectacular display of the formative processes of the land. In fact, it is a place with a high landscape and geological value, where you can find deep valleys, raw moors, caves, waterfalls, mountains and strata slopes. They are wonders of nature spread over four spaces of the Natural Spaces Network: the Natural Park of the Hoces del Ebro and Rudrón, the Natural Space of Las Tuerces, the Natural Space of Covalagua and ZEPA Humada-Peña Amaya. Geosendas have been set up to discover the territory, which can be covered with a guide and support materials. In addition, three routes have been conditioned and marked out that allow for comfortable visits to the places of greatest geological interest, and a guide has been published describing these places.
Beyond natural heritage
It is important to keep in mind that, beyond the landscape and scientific interest, this region also hides a rich archaeological heritage, being able to find paleolithic sites, dolmens and neolithic burial mounds here. In addition, in Las Loras you can also discover an important architectural heritage and historical, in which there is no lack of Romanesque churches. To discover these corners, it is best to follow the Romanesque Routes, the Route of the Pre-Roman Castros, the Route of the Megalithic Sites and the Route of the Rock Hermitages.
UNESCO Geopark Project
With the aim of being able to conserve the territory for the enjoyment of present and future generations and to promote geotourism and responsible development of the place, the UNESCO Geopark Project was born in 2014, which since 2006 has been managed by the Association for the Las Loras Geological Reserve, which gives legal and leadership support to the project. Fortunately, the work of all these years has paid off and the region is a candidate to become part of the UNESCO Geoparks network. In a few days two evaluators from the network will visit the place to decide if they will finally join this select club, a decision that will not be known until spring 2017. Below we leave you with our Gallery, where you will find more images of Las Loras. Do not miss it!
- Burgos, Castilla y León, nature, Palencia
- 1,230
