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Ordino Biosphere Reserve
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(+376) 878 100Ordino is one of country most unique zones. Interaction between humankind and nature is patent in the Ordino area and over time has yielded an identity that has been preserved to this day.
This identity was acknowledged internationally in 2020 when UNESCO officially designated the parish as a biosphere reserve, making Ordino a UNESCO mountain protected area. As such it was automatically integrated into the European Network of Biosphere Reserves, specifically as a mountain reserve. In 2022, it joined the World Network of Mountain Biosphere Reserves.
Ordino is an ideal destination at which to enter into direct contact with nature, as it abounds with unique landscapes like those in the Sorteny Valley Natural Park, an area that has been protected since 1999 and lies in heart of the biosphere reserve. It offers several mountain itineraries that can be taken with a guide and upon which you can enjoy a rich floral variety of over 800 plant species, 50 of which are endemic to the Pyrenees. The park is a Ramsar Convention site and is in the Council of Europe’s Emerald Network for biodiversity protection.
A visit to the parish will present you with the chance to discover numerous testimonies to this interaction first-hand: from forges, mills, orris (animal pens), cabins, chapels and churches, to festivals and traditions such as the “fallas” and the summer solstice fire festival, or the performance of “L’última ossa d'Ordino” (The Last Bear of Ordino), both of which are on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage.
“Riberamunt” (Upstream) is a tailor-made route upon which to discover the human and natural landscape of this biosphere reserve. This trail follows the river for 15 kilometres from the town of Ordino to El Serrat, and takes in the Sorteny Valley Natural Park and Arcalís. The “Riberamunt” route can be taken on foot, by bicycle or by local bus for which there is a special ticket allowing you to make as many stops as you like along the way.
Ordino preserves an invaluable legacy that is accessible to all and can be explored at any time of the year in its towns and districts, which offer top quality tourist and leisure facilities that blend in harmoniously with the surroundings.
Further information is available on the official biosphere reserve website and at Casa de la Muntanya in Ordino.
