This reserve is managed as a result of an agreement between the Cantabria Coastal Authority and the Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre.

It is located between the towns of Guarnizo and Parbayón..

In this reserve, two areas are distinguished which, while being geographically continuous, they differ in terms of the type of ecosystem they form. The first is formed by the Canal de la Mina, an area that has been intensely modified by the requirements of the dominant mining activity in this territory. .

The cessation of mining activity has allowed the partial regeneration of some natural habitats and has become an ecological corridor with a dense riparian forest mass, with alder, laurel, poplar, banana, buckthorn, elder, hazelnut, cattail, reed, alder, willow and the black locust.

The proximity to the Natural Park of the Macizo de Peña Cabarga allows you to observe animals passing through the natural corridor formed by the riverside forest. As for the fauna, the birds are the maximum representatives among the vertebrates in the humid areas and they are good bioindicators of the quality of the ecosystem. It is also possible to observe birds like black kite, buzzard, sparrowhawk, or kestrel. Other inhabitants are mammals such as foxes, martens, weasels, mice…

The second unit that forms this reserve is the headwaters of the Solía estuary, where the vegetation has been highly modified by several human actions: such as the refilling or the isolation of the intertidal zones..

These modifications have created an alternative habitat that is less coastal than other estuaries. Specifically, in the current habitat, the black locust is strongly represented on the shore with a fern and bramble bush.

Within the Solía estuary we can cite a diversity of bird species, some of which have a regular presence and the rest are occasional. In addition to passerines, waders and waterfowl, there are both diurnal and nocturnal birds of prey. Different species of mammals have also been observed, such as badgers, martens, weasels and foxes, among others. It is interesting to note the presence of an important refuge for bats such as the horseshoe bat in the vicinity of the Ría de Solía, known as the Chestnut Cave.

Collaborators:

• Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs Cantabria Coastal Region
• General Secretariat of the Sea
• Directorate General for Sustainability of the Coast and Sea