El Dunas de Liencres Natural Park is a natural space located in Cantabria, in the area of the right bank of the river Pas. If you are going to visit this community, you may be looking not only for cities to stop in but also for beautiful natural spaces. Cantabria offers us many attractions, from the Altamira Caves to cities like Santander or Castro Urdiales. In addition, it offers us protected natural spaces of great beauty such as the Dunas de Liencres Natural Park.
This natural park was declared in the eighties, becoming a protected area in Cantabria. We are going to see what we can see in this beautiful Natural Park of the Dunas de Liencres. This area is located in the town of Piélagos at the mouth of the river and offers us several beaches.
History of the Natural Park of the Dunas de Liencres
This natural space was declared a protected natural park in December 1986. What determined that this area was declared a protected area was its dune system. It was also included in the Network of Protected Natural Areas of Cantabria. In 2004 it also joined the Places of Community Importance of the Atlantic biogeographic region. It includes the entire park and extends to the estuary of the Pas.
Area services
If we are going to visit this natural park we can find various services that can be very useful when it comes to seeing the space. Santander airport is less than a hundred kilometers away and the nearest railway station is Mogro, less than fifty kilometers away. In the town of Piélagos there are also taxi and bus stops. In the surroundings there are different accommodations and also parking areas for cars near the pine forest and also the dunes, so it is a good idea to go by car. In the area there are signposted routes and also interpretive panels. It is a suitable place for families and is usually a quiet place without an excessive influx. You just have to be careful to take care of the space without forgetting that it is a protected space.
Natural Park
In the area of the natural park you can enjoy several spaces. You can park your car in the area near the pine forest. In this place there is a small route that leads to the dunes and the beach. There is a picnic area so it is the ideal place if we want to rest and eat as a family as there are some tables. We can spend a day in the pine forest or go down to the beach area. Be that as it may, it is a very pleasant place in which to walk outdoors in a quiet environment. It is one of the natural parts that can be enjoyed freely, always taking care not to dirty or spoil the space. Many families decide to spend part of the day in the pine forest area that offers shade and a quiet space to eat or even rest.
There is another car park in the beach area. This place may have space early in the morning but as the day goes by in high season it fills up, since there are many families who come to the area to enjoy the beaches. There are two beaches that can be visited. That of Canavalle is the beach on the right and is characterized by being quite windy and also swell. It is a common place for surfers so it is an area for athletes although it is not so recommended for families due to the waves. The other sandy area is Valdearenas, a place of fine golden sand with some waves. In this area you have to look for some nooks in which children can bathe safely as the waters tend to have waves on a regular basis. In order to see the area there are walks through the dunes and natural spaces so that we can go from one place to another.
La dune area have two parts. One of them is the part of mobile dunes that moved slowly inland. Their expansion was stopped using a pine forest that fixed them in that area. In this way, the mobile dune can be easily recognized and has not been moved further by the action of the wind, something that could make it disappear over time. On the other hand, you have the area of the dunes that has some vegetation and that has remained fixed in the area near the beach. It is possible to visit both and it is usually a place that is fun for the little ones. From the dunes there is a wonderful view of the beach area. The panoramic views of the two beaches offer us an ideal area to walk and take pictures.