Valle del Trubia

Valle del Trubia extends through central-western Asturias, following the course of a river that rises in the foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains and drops through limestone gorges, chestnut forests and cattle pastures. The municipalities of Proaza (76.79 km², 832 residents), Quirós (208.79 km², 1,738 residents), Santo Adriano and Teverga form what is known as the Comarca de los Valles del Oso — the Bear Valleys District — named after the territory's leading resident: the Cantabrian brown bear, one of three European brown bear subspecies and the largest land carnivore on the Iberian Peninsula.

The Senda del Oso, a 29.1-kilometre greenway built on the bed of a former coal-mining railway, is the backbone of the district. The paved, gently graded path passes through tunnels cut into rock, crosses gorges where the river thunders against limestone walls and links all four municipalities on a route suitable for families, cyclists and walkers with no previous experience. Halfway along, in Proaza, a four-hectare enclosure houses Paca and Molina, two female Cantabrian brown bears rescued as cubs from poachers in 1996. They gave the trail its permanent name and have become living symbols of the species' conservation in the region.

Beyond the Senda del Oso, the valley preserves notable built and ethnographic heritage. Bandujo, in the Proaza municipality, ranks among the best-preserved medieval settlements in Asturias, with its defensive tower, pre-Romanesque church and wooden hórreos lining cobbled streets where chimney smoke mingles with the scent of freshly cut grass. The Tower of Proaza and the González Tuñón Palace add further historical layers. In Teverga, the Prehistory Park displays full-scale reproductions of Franco-Cantabrian cave paintings, offering a gateway to the Palaeolithic world that adds a solid cultural dimension to the valley's natural appeal.

Wildlife beyond the brown bear includes otters in the Trubia river, roe deer in the hillside forests, wild boar, fox and several raptors, notably griffon vulture and golden eagle. Vegetation shifts with altitude: riparian woods of alder and willow on the valley floor, beech and oak on the middle slopes, and mountain pastures on the heights where Asturiana de los Valles cattle graze. Local cuisine revolves around fabada, pote asturiano, artisan cheeses such as DOP Casín and natural cider, all served in the chigres and family-run restaurants dotted through the valley's villages.

The Trubia river, the district's central artery, maintains water quality that supports regulated trout and salmon fishing. Crystal-clear pools formed between limestone boulders provide natural swimming spots in summer, when families from neighbouring municipalities come to cool off in the most accessible stretches.