Cantabria · Liébana and the Picos de Europa
Liébana is Cantabria’s gateway to the bear: a vertical valley at the foot of the Picos de Europa where the brown bear returns year after year. Potes and Pesaguero hold the centres that make this recovery understandable.
Why this area
Cantabria is living its own brown bear success story: from a token population in the 1980s to steady growth that today spreads across the eastern Cantabrian Mountains, with Liébana as its great valley of expansion.
The two centres of the region — Potes and Pesaguero — tell this recovery from a Cantabrian perspective: coexistence with livestock farming, the riverside forests and the direct connection with the Asturian side of the national park.
cantabria
Centres, viewpoints and experiences, with practical info to plan your day.
Interpretation centre In the very heart of Potes, the capital of Liébana, the Casa del Oso brings visitors closer to the biology and the recovery of the Cantabrian brown bear, with the Picos de Europa as the stage and the valley as an open-air classroom.
Explore → Interpretation centre Ten minutes from Potes, the Casa de la Naturaleza de Pesaguero offers the most complete and rigorous view of Cantabrian brown bear conservation: an essential visit for anyone who wants to truly understand the miracle of its recovery.
Explore →FAQ
Everything you need to know before your visit.
In Potes, capital of Liébana, next to the Torre del Infantado. A few kilometres away, in Pesaguero, stands the interpretation centre devoted in depth to the brown bear.
Yes, more and more: the eastern bear population is growing, and sightings in the mountains of Liébana, especially in autumn, are becoming common. The likelihood is lower than in Somiedo, but it is on the rise.
Yes: the San Glorio and Pandetrave passes link Liébana with the Asturian side (Fuentes del Narcea). Many bear routes are planned across both regions.
Choose your area, choose the season and go with accredited guides who know every trail. We will take you to the viewpoint.