The high limestone around Fuente Dé and the Cares gorge holds Cantabrian chamois, which are common and often approachable on the upper slopes. The cable car at Fuente Dé lifts you into their habitat in minutes, and the Cares gorge path — cut into a cliff face above a river — is the classic walk.

The cliffs and skies hold griffon vultures at close range, Egyptian vultures in summer, golden eagles, and the bearded vulture that has been reintroduced to the range and is now seen with increasing regularity.

The beech and oak forest in the lower valleys holds roe deer, wild boar and the elusive Cantabrian capercaillie, along with middle spotted and black woodpeckers.

The Somiedo and Fuentes del Narcea areas, west of the park proper in Asturias, are the bear destination. The Cantabrian brown bear population has recovered substantially, and organised watching from ridgetop viewpoints with telescopes in spring and autumn produces regular sightings — particularly females with cubs in spring.

May and June bring flowers, active bears and long days; September and October bring the deer rut and the bears feeding hard on berries before denning.

Practicalities

The park sits between Asturias, Cantabria and León, with Cangas de Onís, Potes and Arenas de Cabrales the usual bases. Roads through the gorges are narrow and busy in August.

Bear watching is best arranged with the specialist guides in Somiedo, who know the current den and feeding areas. Weather here is Atlantic and changeable — the mountains make their own cloud, and a clear morning is not a promise about the afternoon.