Outside Asturias – Saja Besaya & Oyambre, Cantabria

We ventured a little outside the limits of Asturias for a week camping.  Cantabria shares  the Picos de Europa National Park with Asturias (and León) as well as the same stretch of coastline, and we know both quite well.

I’ve often wondered what lesser known area of Parque Natural del Saja-Besaya has to offer.  Its only a 90 minute drive for us but a little too far for a long day-trip.

We started on the coast near San Vicente de la Barquera at the Parque Natural de Oyambre (an estuary with fantastic beaches) and then headed inland through the Saja Valley towards Reinosa.  It contains fantastic beech and oak forests, with plenty of bird life though we had no luck with the Black or Middle-Spotted Woodpeckers.

There is a good visitors centre on the only road through the valley – Centro de Interpretación del Parque Natural Saja Besaya

We plan soon to visit the adjacent Nansa Valley with its river inhabited by otters!

Sunset at Oyambre

Sunset at Oyambre, the second evening

Stonewall in Sopeña, Saja Besaya

Río Saja, near Sopeña, Saja Besaya

Early autumn winds at Saja Besaya

Beech forest in Saja Besaya