Parque Natural de los Collados del Asón

Parque Natural de los Collados del Asón covers 1,166 hectares in the eastern tip of Cantabria, where the limestone summits of the Punta del Caballo massif reach 1,613 metres and the waters of the Asón River emerge directly from inside the rock. This geological singularity makes the area one of the finest examples of hypogenic karst on the Cantabrian coast: water rises from deep aquifers and bursts outward as a cascade, creating the Cascada del Asón, a 70-metre waterfall visible from the main access trail that begins at the Fuente las Varas car park.

The terrain combines high-mountain meadows known locally as jous with limestone cliffs up to 300 metres high and mixed woodland of English oak (Quercus robur), beech (Fagus sylvatica) and hazel (Corylus avellana) in the valley bottoms. The park's average altitude exceeds 900 metres above sea level, producing a cooler and wetter microclimate than the Cantabrian coast, with up to 1,800 mm of annual rainfall in the most exposed northwestern areas. In spring, snowmelt feeds countless streams that cascade down the limestone slopes, threading white lines through the deep green of the beech forest. Springs at the base of the cliffs keep the Asón flowing even in the driest summers, ensuring clean water throughout the year.

Wildlife includes stable populations of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa) and Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) along the lower Asón. Griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) nest on the higher crags, with a colony of 8 to 12 breeding pairs recorded in recent surveys. During spring and autumn migration, Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) cross the collados alongside small groups of red kites (Milvus milvus) that use the Asón corridor as a flyway between the plateau and the Bay of Biscay. The park also protects colonies of Schreibers' bat (Miniopterus schreibersii) in karstic cavities, some still uncharted by local speleologists.

The trail network totals around 18 km of marked paths. The PR-CA 1 is the main route: starting from Fuente las Varas, it climbs 200 metres over 2.5 km to reach the waterfall, where the roar of the water and the ambient humidity make the air feel almost tangible. Those seeking more challenge can continue to the upper collados, where on clear autumn days the view extends all the way to the Bay of Biscay. Caving in controlled-access caves and nature photography from viewpoints near the car park round out the park's activity offer.

The base town of Ramales de la Victoria, 12 km to the southwest, allows you to pair the visit with the UNESCO World Heritage caves of Covalanas and Cullalvera and their Palaeolithic rock art. The area also features several restored water mills along the Asón, evidence of the river's historical role powering industry in this corner of eastern Cantabria.