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Mount Buciero or the Mount of Santoņa is a peninsula joined to the continent by a narrow strip of sand, where Berria beach is located.
It is almost circular in shape, with an abrupt topography and occupies an extension of about 600 hectares.
The mountain has one of the large areas of Cantabrian Holm oak forest and is the area where this type of flora is best conserved in the whole of Spain.
Peņa Ganzo, at an altitude of 378 metres, is the largest of the five most important peaks forming the limestone massif of Mount Buciero.
The species which is characteristic of this type of formation is the Cantabrian Holm oak, with a series of eco-physiological features that enable it to be distinguished from the Mediterranean subspecies. Thus, the Cantabrian type is distributed along the coastal or sub-coastal areas, and is a more hygrophyllic species with a laurel-shaped leaf. The Holm oak grove of Buciero shows great diversity in terms of flowers, with an abundance of Atlantic and also broad-leaves deciduous forests.
The environmental conditions that predominate in the interior generate a microclimate that favours the development of an enormous variety of species, in particular creepers and shrubs, which in some way are similar to the laurel forests found in the Canary Isles. |
 MEDITERRANEAN Species.
Holm Oak.
Laurel.
Arbustus.
Laburnum.
ATLANTIC Species.
Hazelnut
Oak
Holly
Yew
Beech
Maple
Other Species.
Hawthorn.
White beam.
Chestnut.
Sorb..
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The gradual change towards a different environment that is more favourable for the growth of Atlantic species led to a reduction in the surface area occupied by the Holm oak, which can only be found in rocky limestone area, where it survives by adapting to arid conditions which other species with higher demands for moisture would find it difficult to adapt to.
This is a forest ecosystem that is exceptionally well conserved, combining the presence of a large variety of surviving Mediterranean species (Holm oak, laurel, arbutus, laburnum) with more Atlantic varieties that survive in areas that are less dry and have greater soil thickness (hazelnut, oak, holly, yew, beech, maple). There are also hawthorns, white beam trees, chestnuts or sorb trees.
The resulting forest ecosystem is characterised by being tangled, due to the profusion of climbing plants such as ivy, or sarsaparilla which given the forest the appearance of an impenetrable wall.
In the undergrowth of the forest there are herbs such as thyme, St. Johns wort, uz, madder, rubiaceae, or the milk spurge, in addition to singular botanical species such as lavender, wild olive, wild rose, scorpion herb, winter savory or laurustine.
The leafy oaks serve as shelter for a rich and varied fauna. Consequently, more than 30 species of mammals inhabit the thick mountain forests, and in particular, the shy badger, minks, stone martens and genets (these last two are clear biological indicators of the environmental quality), hedgehogs, wood mice, weasels, rabbits or the sly fox.
There are also different species of birds such as the hawk, spotted owl, tawny owl, robin, chickadee, greenfinch, or the lesser whitethroat; and reptiles and amphibians such as the green lizard, St. Anthonys frog, green and black lizard or common viper.
In this way, the surviving oak or coastal forest of Buciero is the most valuable, most important and largest in Cantabria, and is also one of the most fragile due to its location, in a singular area in terms of the bioclimate, making it very difficult to recuperate in the event of being destroyed. For this reason, we are all responsible for conserving and enjoying this living example of remote times.
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From the cliffs of Buciero, spectacular landscapes can be seen, from dizzy heights reaching more than 200 metres on the east side of the mountain (Punta del Caballo or Peņa del Fraile).
This impressive relief is the result of erosion by the sea in combination with the verticality of the limestone strata. Apart from its interest in terms of the landscape, these areas are of great value due to their unique flora and fauna. Many different halophytic plants (resistant to saline conditions) cover the large crags that are able to withstand the harsh climatic conditions of this mountain, which is crowned by the Holm oaks that literally hang from the cliffs.
In terms of fauna, in addition to its interesting population of invertebrates, there are marine birds nesting in the crevices, such as the green cormorant (that has formed one of the largest colonies in northern Spain in Buciero).
The cliffs are also inhabited by birds of prey such as the black kite, the kestrel or the pilgrim hawk, and other species that have adapted to the cliff such as the blue rock thrush.
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The limestone massif of Mount Buciero has extensive karstification. This process develops due to the chemical alteration of the rock by the rainwater, the high CO2 content of which gives rise to different forms of dissolution on the surface and underground.
The most common of these, caused by karstification on the surface, are lapiaces or steep ravines (grooves and ducts produced by the effect of the water), dolines, torks or funnel-like depressions and uvalas (the joining of several dolines). In turn, the dissolution inside the limestone massif gives rise to large networks of underground cavities that are inhabited by many species of bats.
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