TRAVEL: 12 beautiful places to see the autumn colours in Spain

BEFORE you know it, autumn will be here. What better way to welcome the season than a trip to see some of Spain’s most beautiful autumnal locations.

Here are twelve places in Spain to see gorgeous autumn colours:

1. Take a trip up north to visit the Basque Country and walk around Gorbea Natural Park. The Otzarreta Forest found here is a particularly lovely spot to see scarlet leaves at this time of year.

2. Madrid’s famous Retiro Park is a wonderful place to take a walk and soak in the autumn sights or enjoy a mellow paddle around the lake on a boat. 

3. Stop by Spain’s famous wine-making region of La Rioja in the north to catch a glimpse at the beautiful orange leaves throughout their vineyard’s and take a sip of some delicious vino.

4. The mountains of Avila in central western Spain, are home to Castañar de el Tiemblo. Visitors can enjoy beautiful walks and picnics amongst the multi-coloured foliage. 

5. The Montseny Natural Park in Catalonia is located in northeastern Spain and is just an hour outside Barcelona. It was declared a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco in 1978 due to its rich ecology and holds the title of the oldest natural park in Catalonia. Home to plant communities from 3 different European biomes, this is a unique destination.

6. The Sierra de aracena natural park found in andalusia is a protected area in the Sierra de Aracena range, explore the forest and walk upon the magical carpet of red and orange leaves below your feet. 

7. The city of Huesca is home to much of the Aragonese Pyrenees here, people can come upon the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park. Home to a plethora of trees with amber foliage and lots of wildlife such as boar, alpine marmots, golden eagles and bearded vultures

8. In Jaen, visit Sierra de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas Nature Reserve, this is the largest protected area in Spain and was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1983, it is also a great space for bird-watching as it was named a Special Protection Area for migratory birds in 1988. There are also some spectacular limestone rock formations to see at Los Anguijones Caves too.

9. North-western las medulas is a delightful mix of history as well as beautiful autumnal forest. It has been listed by UNESCO as a World heritage site and was the most important gold mine, as well as the largest open-pit gold mine, in the entire Roman Empire. Nestled between Galicia and Castilla y Leon, this site is not to be missed. 

9. Delve into Extremadura to happen upon the Jerte Valley which is found in the Garganta de los Infiernos. This destination that is well-known for its spring cherry blossoms is even more spectacular in the autumn. Chestnut trees turn yellow, oak trees turn ochre, and the cherry trees become a gradient of yellow to red.

11.  The Irati Forest in Navarre, and its autumn leaves offers a varied flora and fauna. The woodland is a habitat for many different birds  including ; goldcrests, chaffinches, robins, black woodpeckers, and white-backed woodpeckers. 

12.  Finally in Asturias, the Muniellos forest which is known as the best-preserved common oak forest in Spain turns a wonderful autumnal hue at this time of year. For those wanting to see some amazing animals, Cantabrian brown bears can be spotted here too.

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