Refugio de El Pino
The place
Free refuge at 1268 m in the Sierra de la Demanda (on the border between the provinces of Burgos and La Rioja, Spain), along the trail running up the Urbión valley. Remarkable position on the bank of the Río Urbión, near its confluence with the Río Ormazal, an exceptional area of the Sierra de la Demanda where you'll find the protected natural area of the same name. The route to the refuge begins on the LR-333 road, halfway between Viniegra de Abajo and Viniegra de Arriba (La Rioja province). An exceptional forest setting typical of the Sierra de la Demanda: ancient beech forests (among the southernmost in Europe), mixed forests of Scots pine and Pyrenean oak, cultural landscapes of the northern Iberian System. Emblematic wildlife: red deer, wild boar, roe deer, griffon vulture, golden eagle, Cantabrian brown bear (sporadic presence in the neighbouring Sierra Demanda). A stage on the trails linking the glacial lagoons of Urbión and its emblematic peaks (Pico de Urbión, 2228 m, source of the Duero).
Getting there
From the LR-333 between Viniegra de Abajo and Viniegra de Arriba (La Rioja), Urbión valley.
The setting
Sierra de la Demanda (Burgos/La Rioja), Urbión valley, ancient beech forests.
