Mariñas Coruñesas e Terras do Mandeo Biosphere Reserve

Mariñas Coruñesas e Terras do Mandeo is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve stretching along the Atlantic coast of Galicia, in the province of A Coruña, and covering the municipality of Abegondo together with sixteen neighbouring town halls. The designation received its final approval at the 25th session of the International Coordinating Council of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MaB) Programme, held in Paris in May 2013, adding the area to a worldwide network of sites that combine nature conservation with everyday human activity.

How large is the reserve?

The reserve covers more than 116,000 hectares in total, the vast majority of it land, with a smaller marine strip along the coast. This represents a significant share of the surface area of A Coruña province, making it one of the most densely populated biosphere reserves anywhere in Spain. That density sets it apart from many protected areas elsewhere: here, conservation coexists with active farming, fishing and settled communities rather than excluding them.

What kind of landscape defines the area?

The core of the reserve is shaped by two major river basins, those of the Mero and Mandeo rivers, together with smaller coastal watersheds that flow directly into the ocean. These river corridors are essential for maintaining the region's habitats and species, and the broadleaf forests that line them rank among Galicia's most representative woodlands. Along the shoreline, a mosaic of estuaries, marshes, shallow bays, cliffs, reefs, salt meadows and dunes forms a varied transitional environment between land and sea.

Why is the natural environment considered so valuable?

This diversity of habitats makes the reserve an important refuge for birds, invertebrates and coastal marine life, including kelp communities along the rocky shore. Several of the species found here are threatened or endemic, closely tied to the specific conditions of the local rivers and coastline. Safeguarding this biodiversity is one of the central purposes behind the biosphere reserve designation.

How does the reserve connect nature with local culture?

A distinctive feature of the area is the strong link between its natural environment and traditional resource use. For generations, local communities have practised activities such as producing natural fertilisers and beekeeping, while native livestock breeds are actively conserved within the reserve. This blend of working landscapes and nature protection reflects the essential idea behind a biosphere reserve: a place where people and the environment are meant to function in balance rather than in opposition.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the reserve located? On the north-western Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, within A Coruña province in Galicia, including the municipality of Abegondo among others.

When did the area receive UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status? Final approval came in May 2013, during a session of the MaB Programme's International Coordinating Council in Paris.

Which rivers are most important to the reserve? The Mero and Mandeo rivers, whose valleys form the main ecological corridors running through the protected area.

Do people actually live and work within the reserve? Yes — it is one of the most densely populated biosphere reserves in Spain, where conservation coexists with farming and fishing communities.