Arribes del Duero Natural Park

The Arribes del Duero Natural Park extends across 106,105 hectares in the west of the provinces of Zamora and Salamanca, delimiting part of the border between Spain and Portugal.

The main attraction of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park is the extensive series of canyons and cliffs carved into the granite of the area.

Duero riverbed is the main axis of this area, which is complemented by other tributary rivers such as the Huebra, the Uces, the Tormes, the Águeda and the Esla.

The flow of the Duero is used for hydroelectric purposes. Along its course there are numerous reservoirs and dams that, as a whole, are used for hydroelectric purposes. These are called "Saltos del Duero".

With more than 120 kilometres of extension and reaching heights of several hundred metres in some of its points, it constitutes the most extensive group of canyons in all of Spain.

The diversity of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park is spectacular, as can be seen in places such as Paraje de Ambasaguas (where the rivers Tormes and Duero meet), the Peña Gorda rock, or the Pozo de los Humos waterfall; a large waterfall nearly 200 metres high.

Vegetation and fauna

In addition, the Arribes del Duero Natural Park has an extensive historical and cultural heritage in the urban area of the very interesting Fermoselle.

The vegetation of the Arribes del Duero is made up of juniper, gall oak, holm oak and cork oak forests. Along with them, there are species of the Mediterranean climate that are rare in these latitudes, such as vines, olive and almond trees.

The whole area is a nesting ground for birds of prey such as Bonelli's and golden eagles, vultures, Egyptian vultures, peregrine falcons and eagle owls. Among the most frequent mammals, there are communities of otter, marten, fox or wild boar.

Hiking and access

The whole of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park is very popular among hikers. Among the signposted trails that run through it, several sections of the GR-14 (Douro Trail) and the Arribes Greenway, between La Fregeneda and Barca d'Alba, in Portugal, stand out. Cycling and some water activities are also frequent.

From the city of Salamanca, the SA-300 road goes to the park through Ledesma and the C-517 goes via Vitigudino. On the other hand, from the capital of Zamora the C-527 road reaches the aforementioned Fermoselle, located within the territory of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park.