Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park
Ordesa y Monte Perdido is a national park in Spain, in the province of Huesque. The park was founded in 1918 according to the Royal Decree, which declared the Ordesa Valley a national park. Then its territory occupied 21 km2, but in 1982 the park was increased to 156 km2 and received its current name. Ordesa y Monte Perdido is adjacent to the French Pirene National Park, forming a huge protected area in which a large number of tourist routes have been laid. Approximately 600,000 people visit the park annually.
The park is a typical example of the natural complexes of the Pyrenees - here you can find gorges (Ordesa and Anisio canyons, Desfiladero de las Cambras, Esquain and Anisclo, Font Blanca), picturesque mountains (Las Tres Sorores, Refugio -Goris, Monte Perdido), lakes, Carriata waterfalls, Cole de Caballoi and Cotatuero. The foot of the mountains is covered with forests of poplar and beech; mixed forests begin higher up. In the high-mountain meadows at an altitude of 1500-3000 meters, many endemics grow, among them there is edelweiss, which is a symbol of the National Park. In total, the park's flora includes more than 1,300 plant species.
Fauna in Ordesa y Monte Perdido
The fauna here is so rich that animals have to be periodically shot to maintain the balance of the ecosystem. Representatives of both Mediterranean and continental Europe meet in the Ordesa y Monte Perdido park. Among them you can find wild boars, marmots, water moles, muskrats, and Pyrenean chamois. In total, there are 68 species of birds in the park (if we count those arriving for the winter, then 120), 38 species of mammals, 5 species of fish and amphibians, as well as 8 species of reptiles. In the park, forests occupy 20% of the territory in which you can find chamois, roe deer, deer, brown bears, foxes, nutria, squirrels and martens. Among amphibians, it is worth noting the Pyrenean newt, which lives in clean water.
There are no roads in the Ordesa y Monte Perdido Park, and some places can be reached using climbing equipment. In summer you can meet many mountain walkers here who want to see the pristine nature. The main entrance is in the town of Torlo, and there is also an information center where you can get a route map.
Many famous people loved these places - Soler First Santalo, Luciano Briet or Lucas Mayada and contributed to the park receiving national status.
