Valle de Mena is a small and friendly town in Northern Spain – a real biodiversity hotspot due to its transitional climate between Mediterranean and Continental. It has: 13,000 hectares under the Natura 2000 network; old species such as the Portuguese laurel Prunus lusitanica; and endangered fauna and flora. One of the priorities of the City Council is to protect indigenous species in oak beech and pine forests, bogs, and riverbanks.