Puntos de Interés
Hydrography
Huerna River
The Huerna River is a stream located between the villages of Cotorraso and Campomanes, in the Principality of Asturias. The source is found in the Ubiña massif, which forms part of the Ubiñas-La Mesa Natural Park and has been declared a protected area. It flows for 20.2 km through the valley to which it gives its name, through the parishes of San Cristóbal de Tuiza, Telledo, Seana and Sotiello, until reaching the village of Campomanes, where it joins the Pajares River to form the river Lena.
It is common to find references to this river in historical documents corresponding to the 9th century and later it is mentioned under the name of Orna, hence the current name for the river. Perhaps this name came from the Latin orna meaning container, source or watercourse. On the other hand, it may come from demonym orniacos. The tribes of the Orniacos, present in the valley from prehistoric times until the arrival of the Roman conquest, settled throughout the area of El Bierzo, reaching as far as the river Duerna.
The valley to which it gives its name (Güerna in Asturian) is part of one of the valleys of the central Asturian mountains, which is located to the southwest of the municipality of Lena and covers an area of 104.49 km². The LE-8 local road from Campomanes provides access to the valley, which since 1983 has been an alternative route to the Pajares pass to link Asturias and the Meseta Central plateau.
In 1998, the Huerna Valley was honoured with the Exemplary Village of Asturias Award for successfully adapting its livestock farming practices to the demands of the contemporary population while retaining the essence of traditional husbandry. This has played a significant role in the preservation of the native Asturian bovine breed and the farming land in the valleys.