The UNESCO Global Geoparks Council has declared a new Global Geopark located in SpainOfficial recognition will take place in April 2025 and will include a Cantabrian territory.
Geoparks are territories with clearly defined boundaries that They are home to a geological heritage of international importance used as the basis for its sustainable socio-economic development.
These territories are recognized as UNESCO Global Geoparks in the International Earth Sciences and Geoparks Programme.
Spain, country of geoparks
Spain is the second country on the planet with the largest number of UNESCO Global Geoparks, natural areas with landscapes of extraordinary beauty which the international organization recognizes, highlighting its value with the World Geopark label since 2015.
With this new addition in Spain, there are now 16 places with this typology and recognition to be able to do geotourism there. Geological heritage refers to a group of places of geological interest from a scientific, educational, aesthetic and/or rarity point of view, which may include terrestrial, maritime or underground spaces.
Their importance lies in the fact that they are essentially windows on the past of planet Earth which teach about processes and events that occurred millions or thousands of years ago and those that are occurring today.
Unique natural spaces
These unique spaces show the animals and plants that populated our planet, the existing relationship between geological elements and biodiversity and the use and exploitation of geological resources, rocks and minerals, throughout history.
A geopark is not by definition a figure of protection, even if in some cases it can coincide or encompass protected natural areas. However, Geological heritage sites must be protected by applicable legislation, whether local, regional or national.
Geoparks assume the obligation of defend geological elements who promote its uniqueness, opposing its destruction and commercialization.
Costa Quebrada Geopark
UNESCO decided that the Costa Quebrada would receive this recognition as a Global Geopark at the meeting held last Sunday. The Cantabrian natural complex This will be the first in the region who enters this global network, made up of 213 territories in 48 countries, after having been a candidate twice.
This was announced by the President of the Government of Cantabria, Maria Jose Saenz de Buruagaat a press conference in which she was accompanied by the Minister of Development, Regional Planning and Environment, Roberto Media, and representatives of the Costa Quebrada Association.
Good day for Cantabria
Buruaga stressed that today “is a happy day” because this declaration is “excellent news and an immense joy for Cantabria.” In this sense, he stressed that it is “global recognition that catapults our prestige as a region with a great natural heritage and this will make it more attractive, more valued and more visited.
Likewise, he stressed that it is “a landscape uniqueness award of a large part of our coast that highlights its state of conservation and the commitment that exists in Cantabria at a social and institutional level in the protection, preservation, promotion of values and sustainable development of this extraordinary enclave.
In this regard, the president stressed that the distinction “fits like a glove” with the model of sustainable development and quality tourism of Cantabria, which is committed to seasonal adjustment, decentralization and distribution of its profits throughout the regional territory, he noted.
Mention to the nuns of Jesus
Furthermore, he highlighted the “well done” work of the Shortcrust Associationof the Government, the town halls united by this Geopark and the University of Cantabria.
“Now it’s time open a new stage, with more responsibility, fairness, demands and commitmentbut of the extraordinary enthusiasm and the impulse of this recognition that comes to us from the greatest world institution in education, science and culture,” Buruaga stressed, concluding his speech with a special mention to the former president of the Association, Nuns of Jesusrecently deceased, with whom “it all started”. “He was the one who gave his name to Costa Quebrada,” he recalls.
In this sense, the advisor indicated that in the next regional budgets “there will be sufficient funding to support all geopark actions and ensure the safety of the entire management team,” and recalled that the strategic plan for the next four years that will mark the roadmap of the geopark has already been drawn up.
work of several years
Meanwhile, the secretary general of the association, Lucía Dirube, stressed that this statement is the result of a “hard work for many years“, and emphasized the “chance“which means for this territory that “we are going to promote its local identity”.
In conclusion, he thanked the participation and involvement of the local community, as well as the work of the volunteers who “they shed their skin year after year“.
Last July, two experts assessed the Costa Quebrada who, during their visit, assessed singularities and particularities of the territoryas well as the strong social cohesion and support around its candidacy for the Global Geopark. In addition, they checked whether errors detected in previous evaluations had been corrected.
Land and sea areas
The area of the Costa Quebrada Geopark includes a total of 345 square kilometersof which 270 correspond to land areas and the remaining 75 to surrounding marine areas.
It extends over the municipalities of SantanderSanta Cruz de Bezana, Piélagos, Miengo, Suances, Santillana del Mar, Polanco and Camargo. They are all in one folded structure of the San Román-Santillana synclinewhich affects the materials of the Cretaceous Superior and of Paleogene.
The folded structure offers a wide variety of formations thatand illustrate centuries of geological history and presents a unique set of coastal forms and features that provide the opportunity to witness geology in action and discover, in a direct and simple way, the origin and evolution of the terrain.
