Ordesa Monte Perdido National Park is an IUCN Category II National Park situated in the Pyrenees of Huesca province, Aragon, Spain. There has been a National Park in the Ordesa Valley since 1918. Its protected area was enlarged in 1982 to cover the whole region amounting to 156.08 km².
It has been included since 1997 by UNESCO in the Biosphere Reserve of Ordesa-Vinamala. In the same year it was included in the cross-border Pyrenees - Mont Perdu World Heritage Site.
The park's territory includes the municipalities of Torla, Broto, Fanlo, Tella-Sin, Puertolas, and Bielsa.
Flora
At elevations up to 1,500-1,700 meters, there are extensive forests of beeches, Abies alba, pines, oaks, and a lesser extent of birches, ashes, willows. At higher elevations up to 2,000 m, the mountain pine dominates. Up to 1,800 m, bushes of boxwood are found. In the high meadows from 1,700 to 3,000 meters, there are numerous endemisms including Borderea pyrenaica, Campanula cochleariifolia, Ramonda myconi, Silene borderei, Androsace cylindrica, Pinguicula longifolia, Petrocoptis crassifolia, etc. The Edelweiss, is one of the symbols of the National Park.
Fauna
The most important species of the Park was the bucardo or Pyrenean Ibex, which unfortunately became extinct in January 2000 in spite of the preservation efforts. The Pyrenean Chamois is a type of goat. There are other species such as the marmot, boar and the Pyrenean Desman or water-mole, and great birds like the golden eagle, the bearded vulture, the griffon vulture, hawks, and the royal owl.
Protected status
Many illustrious persons have been fond of the places in this region and have expounded their virtues. Luciano Briet, Soler i Santalo and Lucas Mallada helped promote the reputation of the region and obtain protected status for it.
An area of 21 square kilometres containing the Ordesa Valley was declared a National Park on 16 August 1918 by a Royal Decree. On 13 July 1982, it was enlarged to its current 156.08 km² and its official name was changed to Parque nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido.
