Sotres is a village and

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

in the Asturian municipality of

Cabrales Cabrales is a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias, northwestern Spain. It is situated between the Sierra de Cuera and the Picos de Europa, and is a region famous for its Cabrales cheese. Important towns within the municipali ...

, in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, located 19 km from

Carreña Carreña is one of nine parishes (administrative divisions) in Cabrales, a municipality within the province and autonomous community of Asturias, in northern Spain. It is in size with a population of 412 (INE INE, Ine or ine may refer to: ...

, the municipal capital, in the eastern extreme of the province. The highest of all villages in the

Picos de Europa National Park The Picos de Europa National Park ( es, Parque Nacional de Picos de Europa) is a National Park in the Picos de Europa mountain range, in northern Spain. It is within the boundaries of three autonomous communities, Asturias, Cantabria and Castile ...

, it is part of the designated

Biosphere Reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

and is sheltered by the peaks of the Andara (eastern) Massif and the Central

Massif In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...

of the

Picos de Europa The Picos de Europa ("Peaks of Europe", also the Picos) are a mountain range extending for about , forming part of the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain. The range is situated in the Autonomous Communities of Asturias, Cantabria and Castil ...

, as well as the slopes of Pena Maín. It covers a land area of 38,1 km² and has a resident population of just 130
INE
2011) that is almost outnumbered in summer by guests of the village's hostals. The village is linked to the European

GR footpath The GR footpaths are a network of long-distance walking trails in Europe, mostly in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. They go by the following names: french: link=no, sentier de grande randonnée, vls, link=no, Groteroutepad, nl, L ...

network, being the arrival point of the GR-71 route known as the "Path of the Saja Nature Reserve" that begins in Corconte in

Cantabria Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a historic community, in its current Statute of Autonomy. It is bordered on the ea ...

and traverses the spectacular hills and valleys of the province. Now better known as a base for eco-tourism, Sotres has retained much of its agricultural identity and is one of the key producers of '' Queso de Cabrales'', the piquant blue cheese famously matured in the many limestone caves present in the surrounding mountains. Like much of Asturias and rural Spain in general, Sotres has experienced significant

depopulation A population decline (also sometimes called underpopulation, depopulation, or population collapse) in humans is a reduction in a human population size. Over the long term, stretching from prehistory to the present, Earth's total human population ...

since the early 1970s. As a result, construction of the Park's first ski resort at San Glorio, which met with considerable opposition from conservation groups, has been largely supported by villagers who see it as a much needed boost to the area's dynamism, and a new mountaintop road from Sotres to the resort has already been approved by the Asturias regional government.

References

{{Parishes in Cabrales Parishes in Cabrales Picos de Europa