The terrain is rough, with steep and unstable hillsides. the highest mountains are El Cornón, Peña Orniz, Picos albos o Sierra Pelada whose altitude is 2200 m height. Mean while the lowest altitude is situated in Aguasmestas (395 m heigh above sea level). the river beds, characteristic of an early fluvial terrain, have very narrow river beds and scarcely sediments. The high valleys are wide and they have been shaped by the glaciers giving rise to a grupo of lakes of cirque glacier whose names are: La Cueva, Calabazosa, Cerveriz, Lago del Valle, Lagunas del Páramo ... Experts consider them high hydrogeolical and geomorphologic interest.

The special floor and climate of Somiedo permit the existence of two representative types of forest in the Cantabrian Mountains; both forests are deciduous leaf, Beachwood and oakwood.The herbaceus formations reach wide extensions showing the cattle activity of the area. Fields prevail at the bottom of the valleys. These pastures are ued to produce hay (harvest grasslands) but as the altitude increases we find fields wich are used to the summer grazing. The flora of Somiedo has a very important endemic component. Some plants are exclusive of this territory and border lands of León, as for example the Centaurium Somedanum.

Bushes are very important; some of them are used to build vegetable roofs. Somiedo is a refuge to some speecies of animals due to its vegetation landscape and rough terrain. These animals live in wide areas of Asturias and Spain long ago. The Natural Reserve of Somiedo preserves one of the most complete and balanced representations of the fauna in the Atlantic Iberia. Ten species of amphibians, same number of reptiles, a hundred of birds, and about forty mammals, as well as al least four species of fish. All these species constitute the vertebrate fauna of Somiedo.
Most of the visitors will not be able to see none of the non cynegetic species of big vertebrates. Otter, golden eagles, capercailles, brown bears wolwes .... live in Somiedo, but we can not forget that these are animals whose survival depends on its ability to be hidden