Asturias 2023

 

We have been planning to visit the Picos de Europa for a while, and finally the opportunity came along (2 bank holidays in a row and avoid all the coronation nonsense). We would normally have done a long distance multi day kind of trip, but the information on the routes was scarse, and the videos we watched gave the impression that this is not the Alps and you need to know what you are doing. We decided to play it safe, and instead of going from refuge to refuge, rent a car and do day trip instead. This way we could decide by the day depending on the weather. As a result we planned nothing (for the first time in my life!!) And landed in Santander on a Friday morning with absolutely no idea where we would end up to.

The clouds were low and it was chilly. We new we wanted to visit both the Picos and the Parque National de Somiedo, and decided to spend the gray day driving to the further point and stop in Oviedo along the way.

We had a nice lunch there in a vegan restaurant (don't get used to this...), checked out the centre and then drove to Pola de Somiedo, a tiny village in the heart of the Parque de Somiedo. It was our lucky day as we got the last room available at the Hotel Mino, which someone cancelled last minute. The village is tiny but cute, and you do get the impression that not many foreigners visit it (every time we said we came from Scotland there was a visible surprise in their faces). We woke up at 4am that day and by dinner time (8.30pm) we were considerably spaced out, so that the unusual dinner of grilled mushrooms and 1kg of chips (the only edible food we could negotiate for vegetarians), was not particularly bizarre. We slept like logs.

Lago del Valle and Lago de la Cueva, 24km, 940m up
29 April 2023

We already got used to Spanish times and woke up after 7am, got a coffee from the machine and slowly got sorted. We then drove the 20min twisty and narrow road up to Valle del Lago, with not a soul around, thank goodness! We got there at 9.20am and it was deserted, just plenty of baby creatures (horses, calves and the cutest baby goat ever) everywhere. Spring was definitely in the air even in this remote mountain hamlet. Monday being a bank holiday,and this the most popular walk in the park, we expected herds of people, but we were the only car parked.

For the first 6km we followed a dirty road, kind of flat with the occasional climb. Plenty of cows around and the fierce dogs protecting them against wolves, but they were actually as good as bread and just seeking a bit of attention and patting. The lake was remote and beautiful, it was cloudy but not threatening rain. 

We kept going on a minor path to Lagos de Saliencios,and it got better and better. I honestly had no expectations for this park but it's actually well worth visiting. As we got higher the views got stunning, and then we entered a sort of wide and open high pasture where we saw plenty of Chamois. The clouds were lifting too and it got a bit warmer.

We kept going until we finally reached the Lago de la Cueva, with plenty of people who parked up the road. We skilfully avoided them all by taking a side path and stopped for lunch just below the remain of what once were iron mines and had a delicious bocadillo with cheese and tomato, I was starving! 

 

We started the way back via the circular route and got mesmerized by the harmony of shapes and colours of the place. Alpine flowers abounded too, I'm so glad we reached this hidden gem of heaven! After the open pasture we stopped on a slope for a panoramic break, and a flock of vultures flew past, really close. We then returned via a higher route and didn't meet a soul.

Back to the village we went to the Casa del Oso museum, it was not big but well worth a visit. The 20min video on the life of bears during the seasons was a nice touch, and the place does give the idea of how much they care about their conservation. I had the impression that it's possibly one of the few places left, where the low number of people allows for the bears to thrive. Hopefully it will stay like this.

We went for dinner to the same restaurant and dinner slightly improved: revuelto de setas with salad, and of course the kg of chips.

Cangas de Onís
30 April 23

This was our last day in the park. We went to have breakfast to the hotel and, being Sunday, it was the Mercado del ganado (cow market). I found it quite distressing but I guess that's how they live here. We headed up the road towards the pass, but stopped before in a place called Llamardal for a quick stroll. We set off on a flattish path for an hour and reached an abandoned hamlet from where we could see the Lago del Valle. While sitting to take in the views we saw a big bird approaching from a distance, and it got closer and closer...it was a golden eagle! It was 20 meters above our heads, circling on a thermal like 6 times. What a treat!

We thought that would be the highlight of the day, but the drive turned out to be quite spectacular too, if only we would have cycled it!! We went up to El Puerto, at 1486m, and followed that panoramic road until we reached the CL 626 going towards the Embalse de los barrios de Luna. This would be the perfect cycling road ever, so scenic, quite, flat and with stunning views everywhere we looked, we definitely need to come back here with the bikes!

In the afternoon we reached Cangas de Onís and it was a bit of a shock. Being Sunday, before the May bank holiday, it was packed full of people, quite a difference from where we woke up in the morning. It was sunny and hot, and after checking in the Hotel Santa Cruz, we went to check out town, which was pretty indeed. There was a Roman bridge, and it turns out this was the old capital of Asturias. After 2 days struggling to find food, here there was a bonanza, we even got a decent pizza!

Refugio Ario - 15km and 1000+m
1 May 23

Happy first of May, and what a way to celebrate it! We had a great buffet breakfast and stuffed ourselves like pigs. The must see place here was Lagos de Covadonga, and being a bank holiday cars were not allowed up the road and were replaced by buses, which was absolutely great and the road from Covadonga to the lakes was quite scaring, but so beautiful and unexpected that I spent all the 40kin looking around with my mouth open! I remember the girl at the check in who looked almost apologetic explaining we would need to get the bus there and me thinking thank goodness we are banned for driving here!

The bus dropped us at the parking and from there we got on a well manicured path to the Lago de la Encina, from where we took the path to the Refugio Aria. Amazing how we lost all the people 100m from the lake.

 

The path was rocky but nice and we'll graded, and it was like swimming in a see of rocky mountain of any shapes. We got there in 2 hours, with nobody around, and got our panoramic bocadillo with avocado. We then went to the Refugio for a refresco, and good stuff we brought our own food as they were about to close, but we still got a coke and lemonade. The sun was out and the views amazing, we thought about climbing up a mountain, and after a chat with a couple who just arrived, started on the path, but it got so ragged rocky that we headed back instead.

Good stuff as the queue to get the bus back was quite long, but at the end we waited less than 45 min to board one and retrace that scenic road. Back to town we rewarded ourselves with an ice cream, and realised how above all our expectations this trip has been so far.

Covadonga to Lagos de Covadonga vía GR 202 - 21km and 1300m

Being Tuesday, and not a holiday, there were no buses, and we were not too keen on driving up there. In hindsight we should really have driven up there and walked to the Refugio de Vegaredonda, but oh well, we live and learn! The walk was not too bad, but definitely not that panoramic either.

I thought we would have walked along a path that would have shown us the same landscape as from the road, but first we went up a steep stony and muddy path in the forest, then got on a steep path of some sort in pastures with no views, then crossed the road and improvised the path down to a big depression (where I indeed for into depression), and finally climbed up a nice path in a tunnel to emerge on the touristy path along the lakes that we were the day before. It was so hot that we drank all the water and stopped at the restaurant for a cold drink and to get more water. We then sat below a tree to get our bocadillo with the view of the lake, which was not bad, before heading back down the same route. We thought we would meet nobody but actually found a few lost souls there too!

Refugio de Urriellu (failed) - 15km and 1100 m
3 May 23

Pico de Urriellu aka Naranjo de Bulnes, is the symbol of the Picos de Europa, and somehow we thought it would be visible from pretty much everywhere (we got the best view on the drive to Las Arenas...), especially from a path heading that way...

Picos being the Picos, we checked online for a route going up that way, and found out that there were different routes of different difficulty, but which one was hard to establish. We went for the PR19, and realised soon that we really need to start reading the map well!

Orography was not a word I was familiar with, but saw it in the description of the walk, "the orography of the place make the walk difficult and slow", wondering what that possibly meant...we pretty soon understood its meaning.

We parked the car in Poncebos, where the funicular to Bulnes start. I don't see why anybody would pay 22 euros for the 7min ride up there, when the path was perfectly walkable and quite enjoyable too. We set off on it at 9am and as soon as we entered the valley it was like a hairdryer full speed was blowing air at us, it would be a very warm day! We sweat a lot just in the first hour, where you ascend 400m, which was actually more as somehow we took the path to Bulnes de Arriba...they could really do with some better sign posting!

We then descended to Bulnes el pueblo, an old and well kept, very touristy, hamlet, and from there got on the PR19. There was a huge sign warning it was extremely difficult, but kept going with a "sure it can't be that bad" attitude... We soon figured that it would have been a difficult/hair raising experience, but because it was our first day there, and because we really wanted to see the Pico, we kept going. It was steep, rocky and exposed. We were basically climbing up a vertical valley surrounded by cliffs going up hundreds of meters, with the assistance of a few cable here and there. The going was slow, and at some stage we covered 500m in 30 min... It was like vertical climb, bit of a ledge, repeat. Up one of those vertical climbs we stopped and I just was not feeling confident, I had the gut feeling that it was time to turn back. We could have gone up to the refuge, and down a longer and easier way, but I thought if we get stuck we are really in the shit. Retreat it was. The path humbled us again. The descent was if possible even slower than the ascent, and reaching Bulnes a huge relief. We stopped at a bar for a refresco and had no regrets, I was just pissed off at not reading the map and the signs, like actually listening to what they said... We decided we would go up from the other side, on the GR 202, in a couple of days instead.

Back to the village it was so hot that we were melting. At dinner time we could start hearing thunders, and at night, with my eyes closed, I could see the lightenings too, I slept well!

Ruta de Cares - 24km, 500m up
4 May 23

This is one of the most popular walks in the Picos, and for good reasons. Thankfully we did it on a Thursday and it was not crazy busy, but I certainly wouldn't have liked it in peak season...

The path goes along a gorge for 12km, to a village called Cain, and the return is the same way. Apart from the little climb at the beginning it's basically flat, and really well made. I guess there is some exposure but the path being so wide it feels safe all the time. Towards the end it's carved in the rock via tunnels, and the views on the side cliffs are quite something.

That said it's all kind of the same stuff, and because you are in the valley all the time the views are always from below, which eventually gets a bit boring, but considering the effort to build it, all my respect!

At least we did do it all this time without turning back...

Mirador de Pico de Urriellu (I made up the name...but at least we had a close up of the damn Pico!) - 21km ans1450m
5 May 23

Finally a walk that lifted the spirit, like we actually got somewhere and saw something without shitting myself, which I consider a great success!

By now we woke up with absolutely no expectations, the legs were tired but here we are so we thought we may as well go for a walk and see what's up. We left like 2 zombies, drove to Poncebos, and walked up again the path to Bulnes. We got there at the same time as the first funicular, and saw 2 couples heading up the PR19 path. The first one looked like human machine, the second less so...good luck we thought!

We kept going up on the GR202, and after 10 min stopped at the Mirador de Bulnes, where finally we could see the Pico at a distance. Well, better than nothing we thought. The surprise was that we could actually see it all along that walk, getting bigger and bigger!

The first bit was steep and rocky, but safe, nothing like the other side, and we could actually get some views of the mountains. Then it kept climbing up to a pasture with cows that really have never heard of the word "stress" in their life. We were at the Collau Pandebano, from where we could see Sotres. We got on the path towards Refugio de la Terenosa, which we passed at 1330m high. We kept going towards a point where we could get a good view of the Pico, and from where the path started turning into forbidden place. The clouds started gathering and we got the last glimpse of it before it disappeared, and we could also see the Cantabrian see, finally the good view we wanted!

Satisfied we started the descent and stopped at the Collau for our bocadillo. This time I make it with tortilla, peppers and lettuce, I'm getting better and better!

We then walked 1more hour down to the usual bar in Bulnes for a refresco, with the company of the cutest dog ever! It was a nice stop with characters of any kind (local old people / American tourists etc). We were even charged less for the same drinks, which this time also came with tortilla tapa...the girl couldn't have cared less!

Down some more to Poncebos and finally back home, tired and satisfied, each with the company of a tick. After 6 days of walking the legs were starting to complain, and we decided the day after we would do absolutely nothing!

Coast

On Saturday we did absolutely nothing (luckily the weather was not great either) and just enjoyed getting bored. On Sunday we drove to the coast and went first for a short walk on the coast to check out some Bufones. There was no wind therefore no bufones, but we enjoyed smelling the sea and laying down to catch the occasional sunbeam.

We then drove to Llanes, back to civilization! It was weird to see people, shops and cars again, but for once we actually enjoyed strolling around town, a walk along the San Pedro walk, having a nice pizza, and the evening walk to the harbour.

On the last day we had a late flight and were mainly try to waste time. We had not many expectations, but it turned out to be the best ending of a trip! We drove to San Vicente de la Barquera, checked the old town centre (being Monday everything was closed), and then decided to walk along the coast. The big surprise was finding a super long beach, like the perfect one! We wasted to time, took off the shoes and started walking up and down for an hour and a half, finally we could even see the Pico de Urellu from there! Couldn't have hoped for a better ending :)