Puntos de Interés
Hydrography
River Burbia
The River Burbia rises at Peña Longa at an altitude of 1,564 metres and flows through the beautiful valley sharing its name until it joins the River Cúa, just before flowing into the River Sil. In 2015, this watercourse was declared the Natural River Reserve of the River Burbia I, a protective designation that also includes its tributaries, the Rivers Pocarizas and Tejeira. The aim is to preserve, and even improve, the best-preserved rivers in Spain as living examples of the country's most representative fluvial ecosystems.
This is a typical siliceous wet mountain river, meaning it rises in high and steep areas, with a permanent flow all year round thanks to the rainfall of the oceanic climate. Furthermore, its bed runs over rocks with a high silica content, such as quartzite and slate, which endow it with a very characteristic structure. In its upper section, it has a narrow, steeply sloping riverbed, but as it descends, it widens and begins to form floodplains in certain stretches.
The vegetation along the river is composed of riparian woodland, consisting mainly of alder groves with ash and willow trees. This green belt provides shelter and food for a wide diversity of fauna. In the water, hidden among plants and rocks, are the otter (Lutra lutra) and the Iberian desman (Galemys pyrenaicus), which is very sensitive to pollution and whose presence is an indicator of the river's environmental quality. The presence of brown trout (Salmo trutta) is another indicator of the water's purity, and despite some obstacles limiting their movement along the river, they continue to maintain healthy populations.
Additionally, the River Burbia is a paradise for amphibians, hosting several species such as the common frog (Rana temporaria), the Iberian frog (Rana iberica), the Iberian tree frog (Hyla molleri), the common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans), the natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita), the Iberian painted frog (Discoglossus galganoi), the Iberian newt (Lissotriton boscai), the palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus), the marbled newt (Triturus marmoratus) and even the vulnerable long-tailed salamander (Chioglossa lusitanica).