Picos de Europa National Park The first National Park in Spain
The Picos de Europa National Park was the first one to be
awarded that designation in Spain. Its history goes back to
1918, when don Pedro Pidal, Marquis of Villaviciosa, promoted
the law to create the Montaña de Covadonga National Park, which
was named Picos de Europa National Park on 30 May 1995. This
natural area was awarded the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
designation in 2002. The Picos de Europa Mountains are made up
of three important massifs: eastern or Andara massif, central or
Urrieles massif, and western or Cornión massif. Its climate is
humid and rainy, because it is affected by the sea (which is
only 20 kilometres away). It snows in winter but it is not
strange to find year-round snowfields. Because of the park's
special climatology, there are often fog banks, much feared by
mountain climbers. Regarding its orography, it stands out
because of its strong relief, where high peaks are followed by
deep ravines and canyons. In more than 200 spo