Paths of Arnua, a safari in the mountain of León
A safari in León? In the mountain? It is not a marketing strategy, indeed, it is what it sounds like. The wildest side of Valley of Anciles it is discovered as a result of its isolation from civilization, the local fauna and, mainly, by a booking in which european bison queen freely. In fact, it is the only place in Spain where you can see them in semi-freedom and without the need for human intervention to survive.
"In addition, we have several dozen copies of pottoka horses in the wild, cousins of the horses that inhabited the Cantabrian mountain range, at the same time as the bistons", explains Rubén Sánchez, one of the founders of Sendas de Arnua, a unique project -linked to the Riaño City Council and the Valle del Bisonte Foundation that promotes the breeding and recovery of animals – in the Riaño mountains – in the eastern part of the León mountain, adjacent to the Leonese part of the Picos de Europa, Asturias, Palencia and Cantabria– dedicated to the exploration and dissemination of the beauty of Valley of Anciles.
Paths of Arnua
The equipment that makes up Sendas de Arnua –with experience in the world of communication, finance, tourism and the environment– descends from the Riaño mountain, so its link with the region is more than close. "In my case, I left my native Barcelona many years ago to come to village where my mother and my grandparents were born, very close to Riaño," says Sánchez.
"Our main goal and in the medium/long term it is retain talent in the area, which, in the context of Empty Spain, is a double challenge, since we also try to attract people to our region so that they can stay and live". A love for the land, in which dreamy landscapes formed by valleys, mountains and forests, small towns with a rural and livestock tradition and a culture to discover.
Paths of Arnua
Arnua is a name of legend vadinian , of the Cantabrian tribes that inhabited these lands before the arrival of the Romans. That is why its slogan is that of the Return to the Origin, to that in which a link with nature was maintained and that is now part of the context of the Emptied Spain and those towns that have been gradually depopulated.
"Many people are attracted to this feeling of living in an empty and remote place, although we know that it is the consequence of an endemic problem in 80% of the Spanish territory", Sánchez details, aware that living in the area is not for everyone, but it is for those who seek to have a different quality of life encompassed by a sensation of freedom.
"Everything has its counterpart, we have fewer and fewer services, few job opportunities and little ability to recruit when there is work," follows, at the same time that it sheds light on another of the benefits of Sendas de Arnua, which is to create links with businesses in the area and support each other, deseasonalizing tourism to allow population to settle.
"We are aware of the difficulty, but we must try. And for that, any small project of entrepreneurship in the area requires all the support in the world".
Paths of Arnua
A SAFARI DAY: INTIMATE AND PERSONAL
For a few hours, the nature reserve of more than 500 hectares in which the wild animals of the area live opens up before your eyes. The itinerary programmed by the Sendas de Arnua team begins in Riaño and once you reach the reserve and the Anciles Valley, you drive for two and a half hours in a 4x4 to search for wildlife, making stops outside the vehicle for observation.
The animals can be seen anywhere along the route, sometimes just a few meters away and approaching the car –although a reasonable distance is maintained due to their unpredictability– and other times, thanks to some binoculars , on top of the mountains.
Some of them are pottoka horses, buffalo , deer, chamois, mountain goats, foxes, wild boars, wolves and many types of birds , among them the golden eagle, the Egyptian vulture or the chamois vulture, as well as five specimens of bison –which are part of a program for the recovery and breeding of an animal that was on the verge of extinction in the 19th century–, the largest herbivore in Europe, an impressive image when seen live.
The experience is completed with a small appetizer (surprise) with coffee and tea while observing the landscapes that surround the reserve. "Perhaps these landscapes are the most unexpected of the trip", Reuben emphasizes. "Many clients tell us: they can not believe that we have such spectacular places so close to home."
Paths of Arnua
If Rubén knows something, too photographer and traveler , it is of impressive places. "During my career as a travel photographer, also specialized in landscapes, I have been able to visit incredible places on the planet such as the Antarctica but I can assure you that the landscapes of the Riaño mountain are unique and never cease to impress me. For me, its particular beauty lies in that mixture of an isolated place and silent , bare limestone mountains and deciduous forest slopes," he continues.
"These Atlantic climate forests have very distinct seasons, with autumn being especially spectacular," he concludes.
According to him, a walk through the Riaño mountain gives the feeling of being somewhere in the Patagonia , isolated, cold and magical. "It gives me something like Stendhal effect when I look at it. I believe that the mountain of León has its own identity and personality, and is not comparable to its neighbors in Asturias and Cantabria, since this slope of the Cantabrian mountain range, much more unknown, uninhabited and isolated, has a unique landscape".
Paths of Arnua