Saja-Besaya Natural Reserve

The Saja-Besaya Nature Reserve spans over 24,500 hectares in the heart of Cantabria, between the Saja and Besaya valleys, forming the region's largest continuous woodland and one of the most extensive in northern Spain. Summits exceed 2,000 metres at Pico Cornón (2,125 m), from which on clear days both the Cantabrian range and the mist over the Bay of Biscay are visible. The drop from valley floors (300 m) to mountain crests creates a vertical succession of habitats that makes the reserve a showcase of Iberian Atlantic ecosystems.

The forests are arranged in clearly defined altitudinal belts. At lower elevations, pedunculate-oak (Quercus robur) and Pyrenean-oak (Quercus pyrenaica) stands form dense masses that turn coppery in autumn. On mid-slopes, beech (Fagus sylvatica) dominates the shaded aspects with a closed canopy that admits only slivers of light, nurturing an understory of ferns and mosses where the air smells of damp wood. Above 1,500 metres the forest gives way to upland pastures and Atlantic heathlands dotted with wild bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) that ripen in August. On valley floors, riparian woodland of alder, ash and willow lines the Saja and Argoza rivers, whose upper reaches support brown trout and Atlantic salmon.

Wildlife is the reserve's great draw. Saja-Besaya holds Cantabria's largest red-deer population, with over 3,000 individuals counted in recent censuses. Each September, during the rut, stags compete with roars that echo through the beeches at dawn and dusk—a ritual that attracts photographers and naturalists from across Spain. The rut concentrates around Ucieda and Monte Saja, where discreet observation points have been set up to minimise disturbance. Alongside the deer live roe deer, Cantabrian chamois—inhabiting rocky crests above 1,400 metres—wild boar and Iberian wolves, which maintain a stable population in the reserve.

Birds of prey occupy cliff faces and the forest canopy. Golden eagles and Egyptian vultures nest on the most inaccessible crags, while goshawks and sparrowhawks hunt in the dense woodland. The Cantabrian capercaillie, critically endangered across the entire range, was last recorded in the reserve over a decade ago, yet its former habitat—mature beech forest with bilberry understorey—remains intact as a genetic refuge. The salmon rivers of the Saja still receive Atlantic-salmon runs between May and July, and otters are common along the middle reaches of the main streams.

The villages surrounding the reserve—Bárcena Mayor, Ucieda, Valle de Cabuérniga—preserve traditional Cantabrian mountain architecture with ashlar manor houses, wooden balconies and curved-tile roofs. Bárcena Mayor, a listed Historic Ensemble, is considered one of Cantabria's oldest villages, with buildings dating to the 9th century. Its restaurants serve cocido montañés—a stew of white beans, cabbage and pork—pig's ear and sobaos pasiegos for dessert. The transhumance of Tudanca cattle, a native breed with tawny coat, still takes place between coastal valleys and the reserve's summer pastures, marking the rural calendar of the district.