AUTUMN often seems like that boring bit of the year between summer and Christmas, with only three saving graces – the extra hour's sleep, that it still isn't really that cold, and that it has plenty of bank holidays.
If this is how you feel, you probably need some colour in your life.
Natural, oxygen-giving colour.
Like trees.
Yes, really: Did you think deep reds, pale golds and flaming oranges were a northern European concept? Had you always believed Spain was just cacti and palm trees?
Actually, pines are far more common than either, oaks and maples are bursting with shades of fire all over the Mediterranean, and north of the capital, you can find entire traffic-light beech forests with more in-between shades than a paint chart.
Spain has no shortage of autumn leaves, even if you live in a densely-populated town or a big city, because most of these have a park or several (Madrid, too; you can get lost in the 'rural wilderness' of the Retiro; Valencia's Turia riverbed, the green 'moat' around the metropolis, is one of Europe's largest urban gardens). You don't have to go to one of the National Parks, major nature reserves, mountain ranges or UNESCO forests to find the splendour of the autumnal palette.
But why not? There are enough of them, after all. Too many to describe here, so we'll singled out a small handful to whet your appetite for a post-Hallowe'en getaway.
Just when you thought you knew what Spain looked like, its landscape throws up yet more unexpected delights – here are 15 of them which will make you fall in love with autumn again.
Asturias
Spread across three mountains and 55 square kilometres, the Muniellos nature reserve (first photo, from Pinterest) is home to Spain's largest and one of Europe's best-preserved oak forests – you'll find it between Cangas de Narcea and Ibias.
Only 20 visitors are allowed in per day, as it's also a protected bird sanctuary, so you have to book in advance – but once there you'll see why it's been the backdrop for Asturian mythology and legends for centuries.
Lagoons, rivers, and even the remains of glaciers from the ice age stretch out before you
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