The Hoces del Río Eria is a natural landscape located in the province of Zamora, Castile and León, where the Eria River—a right-bank tributary of the Órbigo—flows through a valley with a unique topography shaped by historic river damming. The river originates in the Montes del Teleno, on the southern slope of the Montes de León, at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters, and flows through a wide, gently sloping valley (1,150–1,250 m) that is much larger than the current river channel, highlighting a morphological contrast between the captured valley and the one that captured it. This stretch, from its source to Quintanilla de Yuso, is included in the Natura 2000 Network as a Site of Community Importance (SIC) “Banks of the Órbigo River and Tributaries” (ES4130065), although this protected status has not yet led to specific conservation measures. From the observation point, one can see the floodplain formed by the confluence of the Eria and Órbigo rivers, a productive agricultural area where corn, potatoes, beets, and beans are grown, alongside the Garafa Dam and the Puente Grande bridge. The area is home to fish species of special interest, such as the boga, bermejuela, bordallo, and goby, as well as lamprey, and features priority habitats such as alluvial alder and ash forests. The best time to visit is in spring or summer, when the riparian vegetation is at its most lush and trail conditions are optimal.
