Mountain range of Ancares Nature · Candín, El Bierzo, León The sierra de Ancares, the western spur of the Cantabrian Mountains in the Galaico-Leonese massif, marks the boundary between Galicia, Castilla y León and Asturias, and comes close to two thousand metres at peaks such as Cuiña or Miravalles. A Biosphere Reserve since 2006, its valleys, cut by the Ancares, Cúa and Burbia rivers, hold holly groves, thousand-year-old chestnut trees, oak woods and centuries-old beech woods where capercaillie and brown bear still survive. The region's long isolation preserved a traditional architecture inherited from the hillfort culture, of which the palloza -a circular, thatch-roofed dwelling- is the most notable example, still found in villages such as Piornedo, Balouta or Campo del Agua. It was declared sitio histórico (a Spanish heritage designation for a protected historic site) on 13 August 1971. Photo: FCPB (CC BY-SA 3.0) What to see and do in Candín
