Puntos de Interés
Orography
Mirandelo Peak
At 1,414 metres above sea level stands the Mirandelo Peak, in the heart of the Sierra de Ancares, on the border between the municipalities of Valle de Ancares and Vega de Espinareda. It is an exceptional location for hiking and nature lovers. From its summit, a ridge path connects with two other emblematic peaks: Chana Grande (1,596 metres) to the east and, to the northwest, Piedra de Miradelo (1,793 metres).
The Sierra de Ancares forms the western extremity of the Cantabrian Mountains, with a characteristic arc-shaped layout. Its geological unit belongs to the West Asturian-Leonese Zone, an area rich in quartzite, slate, sandstone and siltstone with quartz dykes. Its origin lies in a combination of several geological processes occurring over millions of years in the Earth's crust, caused by tectonic plate movement and the subsequent glacial erosion that gave rise to today's characteristic valleys.
This last process, caused by ice, modelled the landscape, generating deep valleys, cirques or glacial lagoons if they are smaller, and moraine deposits, which are accumulations of rock fragments detached during glacial movement.
From the Mirandelo summit, the panoramic view is spectacular. To the north lies the valley of the River Seco, which marks the beginning of the Ancares Valley. On its slopes, one can enjoy trying to distinguish the marks left by Roman mining, identifiable in the landscape by looking for straight lines that mark the channels and sinkholes in the quarry slopes. To the south, one can see the Burbia Valley, where there are also gold mines, although they are more difficult to discern as they are on the slopes of the Mirandelo Peak itself. This side offers a perfect bird's-eye view of the village of Burbia.