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United Kingdom Along with spring, autumn is by far the best season for hiking in Spain. Where better to hike than in one of Spain’s most beautiful forests?
While the beach is great, I prefer cooler months when the weather is perfect for hiking in Spain.
Living in the southeast of Spain, I forget what it’s like to be amidst trees and greenery. However, Spain also has some amazing forests, where the leaves turn in autumn, laying a carpet of gold as they fall.
Many of Spain’s most stunning forests are in the far north of the country; if you’re planning a trip here, make sure you check out some of the best forests in Spain.
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El Moncayo
The Moncayo is the highest mountain within the Sierra de Moncayo located within the Iberian range. It is also part of the Natural Park of Moncayo, an area with deep forests of oaks, pines, juniper, and beech trees. The forest is in Tarazona (Zaragoza), on the border of the regions of Aragón and Castille and León.
El Hayedo de Montejo
This beautiful forest and nature reserve is full of hundreds and hundreds of beeches. There are more than 650 types of this tree; the Hayedo de Montejo is full of the common variety. Visiting the forest in spring or autumn, you’ll find yellow, gold, and brown as the leaves from the trees shimmer. The Hayedo de Montejo is one of the most southern beech woods in Europe. It covers some 250 hectares of land within the Sierra de Ayllón in Montejo de la Sierra.
Hayedo de Otzarreta
This beech forest located within the Natural Park of Gorbea, on the border of the Basque provinces of Vizcaya and Álava. It may not be the largest forest you’ll ever come across, but it may be one of the most photogenic. There are only around 100 trees in this area, but the surrounding landscape, full of running brooks and contorted branches is unique. When all of this is captured in the morning fog, the view before you is enchanting.
Bosque de Muniellos
The forest of Muniellos is in the Parque Natural de las Fuentes del Narcea, Degaña e Ibias. You’ll find it in the northern region of Asturias. It is an area of protected woodland that is a Biosphere Reserve and Integral Nature Reserve by UNESCO. The forest consists of 5,488 hectares of mainly oak trees. It is, in fact, the largest and best-preserved Quercus rober forest in the whole of Spain. However, entrance to the forest is not that easy, due to the protection programs in place. Only 20 visitors a day may enter and follow the route around the park. Book your entrance well in advance.
El Montseny
This is the only Biosphere Reserve in the region of Cataluña. The Natural Park of Montseny has been certified with the European Charter of Sustainable Tourism. It is close to Barcelona, covering the municipalities of Vallés, Osona, and La Selva. In the form of zones, and as the altitude rises, the characteristic Mediterranean plant formations are found in the lower parts (holm oaks, cork oaks, and pinewoods), rainy middle mountain types higher up (mountain holm oak and oak), Central European environment at over 1,000m, (beech woods and groves of fir), and finally sub-alpine habitat at the summit (thickets and high meadows).
