Spain’s 15 National Parks

The different regions of Spain are as varied from one another as they are incredibly beautiful. From the verdant northwest to the arid and ever sunny south – with all sorts of shores and mountains, forests and wilderness expanses in between – the country is home to 15 National Parks.

Shall we take a look at each of them? Since today is Spain’s National Day, it seems only fitting!

This national park in the Catalan Pyrenees is an ideal destination for travelers seeking a mountainous landscape and untouched forests. Amid its rugged terrain are more than 200 lakes as wells two rivers and many tributaries.

Situated in the Montes de Toledo of Central Spain, Cabaneros National Park is considered to be a birdwatchers paradise — especially if its birds of prey you hope to spy.

This remote, 100 square kilometer park (with more than 85% of it underwater) is centered on an archipelago of one main island and 18 islets ten kilometers away from the popular tourist destination of Mallorca.

Located on Palma in the Canary Islands, this national park is one of the biggest volcanic craters in the world, with a ten-kilometer diameter, a depth of two kilometers and an ecosystem unique unto itself.

The boundaries of this National Park form a triangle between the historic Andalusian cities of Cadiz, Sevilla and Huelva. The park is comprised of more than 1300 square kilometers of wetlands — the largest wetlands area in Spain.

On the island of La Gomora in the Canaries, this mountain park is home to a unique subtropical forest which scientists believe represents how much of southern Europe would have looked before the last Ice Age.

Spain’s newest national park, Guadarrama was inaugurated in 2013. Located just north of Madrid, the park is fifth largest in Spain and the only example of a “high Mediterranean mountain” on the Iberian Peninsula.

The Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park is comprised of four islands off the southwest coast of Galicia that serve as a sanctuary for seabird colonies.

Recognized by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve, Monfrague in the Region of Extremaduro is one of few places on the planet where it is possible to view the Eurasian black vulture, the griffon vulture, the Spanish imperial eagle, the golden eagle and Bonelli’s eagle.

On the island of Tenerife, Mount Teide is the highest point in Spain and the third largest volcano (not active!) when measured from its ocean floor base to its peak.

On the Aragon side of the Pyrenees, Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park is home to the highest peaks of this majestic mountain range.

Spanning the regions of Asturias, Cantabria, Castile and Leon, the Picos d Europa mountain range is an impressive sight to behold and a vast area of untouched nature to explore skirting the shores of Bay of Biscay.

Encompassing two of mainland Spain’s highest peaks, the Sierra Nevada offers and escape to a wild (and often snowy) clime in southern Spain and makes a stunning backdrop behind the famed Alhambra of Grenada.

Near Cuidad Real, Tablas de Daimiel National Park serves as an important wetland stopover for waterfowl migrating between Northern Europe and Africa.

Located on the island of Lanzarote, Timanfaya is famous for its otherworldly landscape of solid lava, geysers and hot springs.