12.08.2012 : Potes - Panes (32km)

Visit of the new Centro de Visitantes de Sotama in Tama. Apart from big expensive features this visitor centre doesn’t provide real information. But we got some water from a tap that was on the road next to it. Drive through the Desfiladero de la Hermida where Volker wanted to do the Tresviso hike. But we were too late on that Sunday, there was no parking possibility on this narrow road so we continued and landed in Panes. There we saw canoes lying in the river and we decided to do a tour. Not after Julia having her white coffee that she insisted on before leaving. We had a 3 hour tour from Panes to Unquera (Canoe Ventura Trophy, 30 € p.p. incl. a picnic bag with a delicious chorizo sandwich!). After a siesta we took our bicycles and explored the town, the park and then drove along the left side of the river to the village of Andina (21 km -1,5 h). Overnight at the parking of the Arboretum in Panes: N43º19.550’ - W4º35.058’

13.08.2012 : Panes - Poncebos (Arenas de Cabrales)- Sotres (41km)

At 10:00 we arrived in Poncebos. Volker did the Garganta de Cares hike (27 km - 6 hours, 670 m) and Julia went up by foot to the village of Bulnes that until 2001 was only reachable by a path and now has a cable car (one way: 16,80 €, return 21,10 €) completely built in an “underground” tunnel (length 2227 m, ascent 402 m). I did the hike from Poncebos to the Collado Pandébano (12 km, 4 hours, going back by cable car, 900 m height). Volker and I met at 4:15 in our camper and drove to Sotres where we had a beer with chorizon con sidra Casa Cipriano and also bought some cheese. N 43º14.036’ - W4º44.796’

14.08.2012 : Sotres - Refugio de Áliva - Arenas de Cabrales (17km)

We decided to take our bikes and ride up to the area where we had been on the 11.08.2012 and we ended up at the Refugio de Ávila that is on the way down from the mountain on top of Fuente Dé (see 11.08.2012) and we made it up to the Refugio de Ávila! We spent almost 3 hours riding -or better walking- up with our mountain bikes the terrible and steep road that goes up there. The whole tour was 21 km long with an ascent of over 800 m. The last part was exhausting for Volker who let me stay down the road of Sotres and went up alone to get the camper. It was very adventurous how we tried to put the bicycles into the camper in the middle of the main road that winds up/down in narrow hair spin curves! To recover from all this we drove to a picnic parking lot located between Sotres and Arenas de Cabrales, had lunch and siesta. Then we drove to Arenas de Cabrales and bought some nice cheese, sidra, had a cocktail at a bar with a pleasant garden. Parking and overnight at the big car park along the river: N43º18.114’ - W4º49.036’

15.08.2012 : Arenas de Cabrales - Avín (14km)

We arrived early at the Camping Picos de Europa in Avín and got a very pleasant spot (22 € incl electricity per night). We had our laundry done (each load 3€ and dryer 3€, very good and speedy machines!).  We did some spring cleaning on our camper and had a delicious BBQ with red wine. It was a so-called relaxing day. N43º20.028’ - W4º56.883’

16.08.2012 : Avín - Lagos Enol y Ercina - Cangas de Onís (21km)

We drove to Soto de Cangas where we parked our camper on P2 and took a shuttle bus up to the lakes at 10:00. We hiked up to the Refugio de Marques de Villaviciosa (6 hours, 15 km, 800 m ascent up and 170 m descent). I, Julia, was pretty tired after this and after having an ice cream at the restaurant at Lago de Ercina, I decided to pay 1€ to take the shuttle down to the parking lot of the bus that takes us back to our P2 in Cangas de Soto whereas Volker walked up and down the last part. We were surprised by the good organisation with the busses going up and down regularly from the lakes up to Canger de Onís (7.50€ p.p. + 2€ parking fee). Drive to Cangas de Onís to the big car park -Parking El Llerau- where there are 4 places reserved for campers and a dumping station. We then went to buy a lot of cheese and other stuff we needed and then sat down at the Sidrería El Polesu Casa “Pinín” at Angel Tarano, 3 in 33550 Cangas de Onís, tel. 985 94 75 84 where we had delicious things with the sidra served the traditional way, i.e. from atop the head down to the glasses without looking up and spilling about 1/3 off the glasses. The goodies we had were: patatas com Cabrales (potatoes with Cabrales cheese), setas con ajillo (big mushrooms in garlic), sebarguinos (red peppers filled with prawns, cheese and ham), tortu relleno de adobo (a sort of croquette filled with minced meat) chorizo cooked with cider etc. Everything was delicious and the restaurant is an old cider press converted into a restaurant. We had 2 bottles of sidra (70 ml, 2,30€ each) and the whole thing cost 30€! N43º21’07 - W5º07’31

Visit of the new Centro de visitantes Sotama in Tama.

Driving through the Desfiladero de la Hermida from Potes to Panes

Canoe tour on the river Deva/Cares

Chilling out at the Sidreria Casa Cipriano

Sotres

El Naranjo de Bulnes or Picu Urriellu

Poncebos

A funicular (cable car) built in a tunnel takes you up and down to Bulnes, but I climbed it on foot and took it to come down to Poncebos after my hiking up to Collada de Pandébano

We made it up to the Refugio Áliva at 1670 m! This time from Sotres in the north.

Las Vegas de Sotres - a ghost village

These are views we had 3 days ago when we did the Áliva hike from and to Fuente Dé.

This is Volker’s new bike he got to his birthday: a Trek Mamba

The awesome mountain scenery of the Macizo Central at Picos de Europa

Chilling out in Arenas de Cabrales

... and the next day on the Camping Picos de Europa in Avín

Cheese map of the Picos de Europa

Lago Enol

Lago Ercina

Views up to the sea!

We had a wonderful dinner at the Sidreria Casa Pinín. The cider is served “escanciada”, that is, poured from the bottle held high overhead --without looking up- into a glass held very low.

Does anybody know what plant/flower this is? Seen in Cangas de Onís

Walking up to Lago Ercina through an old mine.

Cangas de Onís

Arenas de Cabrales

Avín