Los Arribes/Las Arribes

Raquel Morin Rogado

One interesting place to take a walk along the Duero river and to have a nice time is the Natural Park of Arribes del Duero. Situated in  the autonomous community of Castile and León, between the provinces of Salamanca and Zamora, is a natural area and one of the best conservated parks with a landscape of singular beauty and environmental quality. This amazing natural heritage also forms the national boundary between Spain and Portugal. The main characteristics of this natural space are its biodiversity and its variety of valleys. These valleys have been originated by the erosion of several rivers, such as Águeda, Duero, Esla, Huebra, Tormes and Uces. This natural scenery is known as “Arribes”, from where the reserve name come.  The term "Arribes" appears for the first in 1885, and it was used by the natives of Salamanca’s region, La Ribera, referring to geographic depressions caused by the Duero and other rivers of this territory, which I have already mentioned. However, in regions of Zamora and also in Portugal, the same geomorphology was termed “Arribas”. Consequently, in the seventies, the term "Arribes" changes its gender depending on the sector of the park where we are situated. Zamora’s part of the park has begun to call “Los Arribes”, while Salamanca’s part has begun to call “Las Arribes”.