Spain’s 17 global geoparks, spectacular landscapes that reveal the history of Earth

Water, in the form of rivers and springs, is the element that has transformed this territory, carving eccentric shapes into the limestone. This is a land of olive trees and little villages of whitewashed houses nestling among the mountains, such as Zuheros, Cabra, Luque and Doña Mencía. This area is ideal for exploring by bicycle, with plenty of special routes, including the Olive Oil Train Greenway. If you prefer hiking, the trails of La Nava and Cañón del Río Bailón are the most popular for combining with car tours. You will discover numerous caves, among which the Los Murciélagos (in Zuheros, guided tours available) stands out. And it’s almost obligatory to see the views from the Balcón de Andalucía (at the chapel of Nuestra Señora de la Sierra, in the Cabra mountains).

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A living display of 60 million years of history. This is the Flysch route, visiting the most striking geological feature of the Basque coast, in the municipalities of Zumaria, Deba and Mutriku. These 13 kilometres of stunning cliffs and outcrops of sedimentary rocks known as flysch are of interest to geologists, not least because they help them study prehistorical periods such as the extinction of the dinosaurs. Itzurun beach (Zumaia) is probably the best place to see the flysch. It’s also where the visitors’ centre is located. Boat tours leave from here, where you can see the beauty of the cliffs from the sea. If you can, wait to see the sunset from the beach or the sea, because it’s quite unforgettable. Further inland, the Geopark includes green valleys and mountains with caves boasting World Heritage rock art, such as the Ekain.

This landscape was formed in Pangaea, around 300 million years ago. Climbing to the highest point, the ridge of La Villuerca, you get a sweeping view which reveals the character of the Geopark, a landscape of mountain ranges, valleys and hills. You’ll find dense oak and chestnut woodland with fauna including the golden eagle, peregrine falcon, griffon vulture and eagle owl. Its points of geological interest include Estrecho de la Peña Amarilla (a ravine in Alía); Marmitas de Gigante del río Ibor (in Bohonal de Ibor), a gorge created by water erosion where you can swim if the weather is warm, and the blockfields of Peraleda de San Román (an area of rounded and mushroom-shaped rock formations, especially the enormous boulders of Cancho del Castillo). Near this area you can visit the Jerte Valley (noted for its cherry blossoms in spring) and Guadalupe with its famous monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe, a World Heritage site.

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The landscapes of El Hierro are famous for their uniqueness and beauty. The island is volcanic in origin, like all the Canary Islands, and it’s easy to find lava flows, coulées, volcanic sediments and rock formations of great geological interest. In fact, volcanic activity is still going on and there was an underwater volcanic eruption in 2011. A good place to find out more about its volcanoes is the Geopark visitors’ centre in El Pinar. You can see the effect of volcanic activity on the landscape from viewing points at Jinama, La Peña, Bascos and La Llanía. Whether you are driving or cycling, the road from Valverde to San Andrés reveals all the variety of landscapes on the island, with agricultural areas, sea views and steep cliffs. In San Andrés you can hear about the legend of the Garoé tree and the phenomenon of horizontal rain. And if you visit La Dehesa, you can see the effect of the trade winds in El Sabinar, with trees twisted into spectacular shapes.

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An island of mountains formed by fire and extraordinary volcanic landscapes. Timanfaya National Park is a must-see, with a tour of the Timanfaya volcano and unique experiences like eating food cooked on lava. This terrain is full of thermal anomalies and can reach 250 ºC in some areas, where you can see boiling water erupting in geysers. Tinajo is a town with plenty of geological sights, such as El Cuervo volcano, Montaña Colorada and Caldera Blanca, all with easy hiking routes. Another unique landscape is in La Geria, where farmers have adapted grapevine growing techniques to the volcanic terrain.

A UNESCO Geopark since 2018, its rocks tell the story of over 550 million years of history. This area was once under the sea, later dinosaurs lived here almost until their extinction, and today it offers a wealth of picture-perfect landscapes and one of the clearest skies for stargazing, recognised by Starlight. Its most photogenic spots include the Mont Rebei ravine, where a breathtaking path has been carved into the rock, up to 500 metres above the river. Its best-known route is the Ruta del Quinto Lago, going through enchanting medieval villages like Peramea, Beranui and Les Esglésies and ending at Lake Montcortés, fed by an underground spring. Another great way to enjoy the diverse landscape is on the Tren dels Llacs, a period sightseeing train which runs from Lleida to La Pobla de Segur through the scenery of the Pyrenees. There are also numerous fossil deposits in the Geopark, including dinosaur fossils and footprints. You can find much more information about them in the Dinosfera Centre in Coll de Nargó.

It became part of the worldwide network of Geoparks in 2020, and offers the opportunity to discover an environment which tells a story five million years old. Here you can see the traces of ancient seas, mountains which were once underwater lava flows, and one of Europe’s largest complexes of palaeontology sites with Quaternary vertebrates. Humans have also left their mark on the landscape, including cave houses carved into the mountainside, early precursors of today’s bioclimatic homes.

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Ferrol and Ortegal are home to an exceptional geological heritage.  Covering almost 800 square kilometres, this area is known for the awe-inspiring Serra da Capelada and Cabo Ortegal, the second most northerly cape in Spain. This environment offers a diversity of lithologies and unique reliefs, the result of the collision of the supercontinents of Laurasia and Gondwana 350 million years ago. In addition to the famous sea cliffs, you can see rocks on the Earth's surface that are normally found in the Earth's mantle, more than 70 kilometres deep. The area is also notable for its mining history, some of which you can visit, such as the Piquito mine in Moeche, which was the last underground copper mine in Galicia.

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