An adventure in Asturias – 7 days

EL FARO DEL NORTE

The journey begins. The meeting points are at Asturias Airport (Ranon) at 14:30 or at the Oviedo train station at 16:00 (*). From there we will go directly to El Faro del Norte. Impressive accommodation, in the small, traditional village of Valle, will provide us with a wonderful retreat where we will get to know Asturias in a rural setting with all the comforts of home. Before the evening meal, while enjoying a chilled drink or traditional natural cider, we will discuss the program details. A hearty welcome dinner, a little chit-chat and then to sleep to ensure we are rested and fit for the next day.

* You can also go directly to the hotel. Evening meal included.

WALK IN THE YEW FOREST OF PEÑA MAYOR.
The central mountain of Asturias is relatively unknown and perhaps for this reason it is also so deserted. We will travel towards Les Praeres, right in the heart of the Peña Mayor. Once there, we leave the car and within half an hour we will be immersed in a unique forest. Ancient yews and oversized beeches give us a sense of being in a perfect location to shoot a movie with characters from Astur mythology. Holly bushes, spectacular hazels, ash, hawthorn, and more yews and more beeches and yet more mysterious forest, giving shelter to boar, roe deer and other deer.

After this wonderful walk using animal trails, we will leave the forest and reach the peak of Peña Mayor or El Falleu (1149 meters); weather conditions permitting, we will be able to see across the entire central area of Asturias. The views are stunning: from the Picos de Europa to the Ubiñas, stretching over the central Asturian mountain range. Some water and a few pieces of fruit will recharge our batteries for the descent to the refuge of Les Praeres where we can either choose to eat something light or enjoy a more hearty, traditional meal.

In the afternoon, we head to the hotel to rest our legs. At some places the walk crosses the mountain, but it is not hard, since the total cumulative altitude is about 400 meters and the distance, walking slowly whilst enjoying the flora and landscape, will take us between 3 and 4 hours. We will be walking along cattle trails and we will be in the thick of the forest, all off-track, so we will be using nordic walking poles to help us.

CYCLING TOUR ALONG THE CANTABRIAN COAST.
We load the bikes into our trailer and drive to Buelna, from where we start our tour. We pedal through its quiet streets and we’re already approaching the coast to explore the mysterious and somewhat surprising place of Cobijero, with its impressive cave and sea balconies carved into the cliff-face, a jewel of nature; we will enjoy the surprise of discovering a beach in the middle of a meadow connected underground to the sea. The beach fills and empties at the leisurely pace of the powerful tides of the Cantabrian coast. We will also visit an authentic natural stone bridge built over the sea and its vertiginous cliffs, a wonderful setting.

Back on the bikes, we start to follow the track that runs along the ‘Camino de Santiago’, known as the ‘Camino del Norte’ (Northern Path). If we’re lucky and there’s surf, we’ll get a close-up of some of the angry and dangerous waves on this coastline and see and hear authentic seawater geysers. We’ll go across rivers on wooden bridges to reach traditional Asturian towns. Once in Andrín, we’ll rest again to restore our strength.

In the afternoon, we will enjoy Andrín Beach while we wait for the van to arrive to load our bikes. The views of the beaches of Llanes and of our whole tour are amazing. The route is suitable for anyone who can ride a bike, and depending on the fitness of the Group members, we can conquer the steep slopes on foot or by bike. Now it´s time to return to our hotel, shower and enjoy our cozy Asturian lodgings.

PICOS DE EUROPA NATIONAL PARK.
Today we will get up early to arrive in plenty of time in the heart of the Picos: Arenas de Cabrales. In Poncebos, from where the route of the Cares begins, we will start climbing the Canal del Texu, a lovely trail, typical of the Picos de Europa mountains, leading up to Bulnes. A good walk through one of the few towns in Spain that lack road access. We will relax a little and eat something light in one of the mountain restaurants. Having rested we begin the return, it is all downhill, but if anyone feels their legs are little tired they can use the funicular railway and avoid the descent on foot. From Poncebos, we will begin returning home via the stunning roads of Asturias.

KAYAK IN THE NATURE RESERVE OF THE VILLACIOSA ESTUARY.
At high tide, and after a little training in handling the kayaks, we plunge into this nature reserve where we can enjoy a unique ecosystem. Slowly we will navigate between mountains, meadows and the wild beach of Rodiles. A unique and changing landscape depending on the movement of the sea, the Partial Nature Reserve of the Villaviciosa estuary also hosts a variety of birds and plants which make it unique to the Cantabrian coast. We will paddle next to El Gaitero factory, located in the middle of the estuary.

After all that activity, we’ll go to Rodiles, to enjoy its great beach. To participate in this route, previous kayak experience is not necessary but knowing how to swim is essential.

MOUNTAINS NEXT TO OUR VILLAGE.
This will be a special day. The route begins and ends at the hotel. It’s a slightly longer route, an authentic Asturian mountain path. We’ll enjoy our very own river ‘Valle’, a surprise for even the most experienced mountaineers. We’ll climb to the top of the mountain, from where you can enjoy the view of the ‘Picos de Europa’, the ‘sierra del Sueve’ and even the Cantabrian Sea itself. We’ll find the ideal place to enjoy a great sandwich.

Once our appetites are sated we gently begin the return to the village of Valle, where, after a good shower and with a good drink we can then relax in this wonderful village.

 OVIEDO.
Today, no early start, we can have a leisurely breakfast. At 11:00 am, we will set off for Oviedo. We arrive at around 12:00 with ample time to see the town. We will eat something before bidding a fond farewell and heading for the airport. End of program.