Top Ten 'Must Do' places to visit or ride in the Picos and Cantabria Regions

Tusky

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Right then, ferry booked and second week accommodation sorted...... Just routes and a few overnight stops in the first week to go, so with this in mind.

Can you help me to compile a list of the top 10 'Must Do' recommendations in this stunning area?

I'll kick off with the Altamira Caves and prehistoric wall paintings.

1). Altamira Caves
 
Cangas de Onis

South on 625 to Riano.

621 to Potes continue to Panes.

West at Panes on AS 114 and return to Cangas de Onis.

Repeat the same basic route clockwise only detour at Portilla de la Reina [12m NE Riano] to Posada de Valdeon. The trip from Posada de Valdeon to Cain is also a well worth it.
 
boxer said:
Cangas de Onis

South on 625 to Riano.

621 to Potes continue to Panes.

West at Panes on AS 114 and return to Cangas de Onis.

Repeat the same basic route clockwise only detour at Portilla de la Reina [12m NE Riano] to Posada de Valdeon. The trip from Posada de Valdeon to Cain is also a well worth it.
Click to expand...

Cangas de Onis is straight on my list, bridge, old building and the church look amazing... Will look into routes :thumb2
 
Cares valley walk is ace.
Avoid the visitor centre in Potes unless you like incomprehensible religious mumbo jumbo around the Liebana. The bear exhibition in the basement was interesting though.
The cable car at Fuentes De is worth it and if you've time take it up and walk down. Get there early as the queues can be large.
There's a great place to eat about 15 km out of Cangas on the circular road around the Picos in a small village who's name I've forgotten. Ate and drunk all afternoon and had a great Craic with some locals. This seems to be the norm all around the region.
I went by a number of excellent back roads over to Asturias and Oviedo. Almost every road was a stunner and I stayed in some excellent hotels. Many of them were sadly nearly empty. If you get over that far check out the excellent mining museum near Oviedo. Lots of stunning wooded valleys with weird little mines in them. Also lots of memorials to the Asturians pivotal role
in the Spanish civil war and the dreadful consequences wreaked out upon them.

Such a beautiful region and relatively ignored by many Brits. I am on trip no. 5 now and am still scratching the surface. Take time to explore the back roads. Get yourself a Michelin map and check out all as many green edged roads as possible.

You won't be disappointed.
 
Another for Fuenta De, just outside Potes, and stunning views:thumb, have a good trip.
 
Monty Stubble said:
Cares valley walk is ace.
Avoid the visitor centre in Potes unless you like incomprehensible religious mumbo jumbo around the Liebana. The bear exhibition in the basement was interesting though.
The cable car at Fuentes De is worth it and if you've time take it up and walk down. Get there early as the queues can be large.
There's a great place to eat about 15 km out of Cangas on the circular road around the Picos in a small village who's name I've forgotten. Ate and drunk all afternoon and had a great Craic with some locals. This seems to be the norm all around the region.
I went by a number of excellent back roads over to Asturias and Oviedo. Almost every road was a stunner and I stayed in some excellent hotels. Many of them were sadly nearly empty. If you get over that far check out the excellent mining museum near Oviedo. Lots of stunning wooded valleys with weird little mines in them. Also lots of memorials to the Asturians pivotal role
in the Spanish civil war and the dreadful consequences wreaked out upon them.

Such a beautiful region and relatively ignored by many Brits. I am on trip no. 5 now and am still scratching the surface. Take time to explore the back roads. Get yourself a Michelin map and check out all as many green edged roads as possible.

You won't be disappointed.
Click to expand...

Brilliant... :clap

This is exactly what I am after, as includes things that are personal and aren't necessarily going to be in the guide books.... The mines are now on my to do list as well, as I have a bit of a fetish for geology :bounce1

Thanks for the tips, very useful indeed, now to research and follow up on what has been said :thumb2

Thanks also to Ferret for the endorsement of the cable car and Bugbear for the route :)
 
Riano

Tusky...any road too and from Riano.

The road from Cangas de Onis South on 625 to Riano there is a little cafe half way on the twisty bits about 10 mins out of Cangas de Onis.

My 5th visit next Sept we always stop here http://www.fade.es/torretours/English/home.htm Jim and Pillar are superb hosts :thumb2

As said, you must ride the N621 :clap keep ya eyes peeled of the little roads that lead to viewing areas.

Enjoy.
TD
:thumb2
 
team duvet said:
Tusky...any road too and from Riano.

The road from Cangas de Onis South on 625 to Riano there is a little cafe half way on the twisty bits about 10 mins out of Cangas de Onis.

My 5th visit next Sept we always stop here http://www.fade.es/torretours/English/home.htm Jim and Pillar are superb hosts :thumb2

As said, you must ride the N621 :clap keep ya eyes peeled of the little roads that lead to viewing areas.

Enjoy.
TD
:thumb2
Click to expand...


+ 1 for the Hotel Torreceredo - and it's on a cracking road :D

There's also a great walk from the top of the cable car at Fuente De (which is a must in itself - 800metres straight up the face of the mountain !)
 
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Thanks Guys

Great response so far and as a result, after two and a half years of being a member, I now feel compelled to be a subscriber ;)

Johnny thanks for suggesting the Covadonga lakes and the Catholic Basilica, I had seen pictures of the Basilica and thought it looked like a 'must see', before but did not know where it was (I do now).

TD.... five visits says it all really and Hotel Torrecerredo is one that I had on my list but personal recommendations (from bikers) are always the best, I am also going there in late Aug - Early September, so if you find someone checking out your favourite haunts, don't be suprised ;)

Sidestand, thank you for endorsing both the hotel and cable car :thumb

Looks like I've got an Xmas project collating the info and producing an itinerary, including the 'Top Ten', your efforts in posting wont be posted and I will of course do the obligatory tour report and photos :cool:
 
Well if it's mines you want ...

From the Picos "ring road" at the large reservoir at Riano take the A-625 then turn along the AS-117, signposted Oviedo. This is a great riding road with excellent views and mountains all around (lots of twisties). the road surface starts off a bit rubbish but slowly improves. After you pass the Embalse de Tanes you will enter the village of Rioseco where we stayed at a great hotel. The Don Feliz is like a Brit. boutique hotel without the price tag. They let me park the bike in their garden area just outside the front door. Highly recommended. There are at least two good restaurants in the town too.

Now the tour ...

Stay on this road as it gets more and more industrialised, you'll pass a few mines until you get to El Entrego which has one of the best mining museums I've been in (I've been in a few).

http://www.mumi.es/

Give yourself 3 hours for a proper look around.

From there I rode directly over the tops on the LA-7. This road has lots of mines all around, each one in really beautiful surroundings, most of them sadly closed, some only recently as the Spanish economy has gone tits up and the mining subsidy has been removed. You'll see lots of people wearing black ribbons and black ribbon symbols daubed on walls. Last summer we even managed unwittingly to get involved in a protest which turned a bit nasty - time for a sharp exit! One of the mines on the LA-7 has been turned into an Ecocentre (it closed as a mine in 2002) but I didn't stop - I'd be interested to know what's there.

You get so used to seeing British mines (well you did before the 1980's) in a kind of industrial wasteland that headframes in these beautiful wooded mountains are a bit of a shock.

We explored a few mining sites on foot, but be careful shafts are unfenced!!!! Locals are very friendly especially if you can profess solidarity with the cause. Industrial relations are very 1970's with the hammer and sickle painted on walls etc.

The LA-7 took us over the top to the AS-337 - fab road with lots of exciting detours and a nice restaurant/bar with good views where the two meet. The AS337 (back towards the Oviedo/Leon Road) along the valley of the Turon is an industrial archaeology paradise. There are mining remains every few Km.

For example ...

Campo del Tabla is a mine with an horrific story to tell - just read the interpretation boards and weep! You'll need a bit of Spanish but you'll get the gist with a phrase book.

At Santandres there's a headframe that looks like a swiss chalet on stilts!

San Francisco has an old steam loco near the roundabout and a very modern (and closed) mine. You have to go round the one way system to see it. Lots of great revolutionary murals around.

When I hit the A-66 I went (towards Leon) up to Pola de Lena and then took the AS-231. The road has more mines and precipitous drops. Just follow it until it reaches the N-630 and back to the A-66. AS-116 back towards Langreo and the mining museum or stay on the A-66 and go towards Oviedo, Gijon and the coast.

You can check out the route on Google Maps. You'll see that the views are spectacular to say the least.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&...0.126286,0.308647&vpsrc=6&hl=en&mra=ls&num=10
 
Monty Stubble said:
Well if it's mines you want ...

From the Picos "ring road" at the large reservoir at Riano take the A-625 then turn along the AS-117, signposted Oviedo. This is a great riding road with excellent views and mountains all around (lots of twisties). the road surface starts off a bit rubbish but slowly improves. After you pass the Embalse de Tanes you will enter the village of Rioseco where we stayed at a great hotel. The Don Feliz is like a Brit. boutique hotel without the price tag. They let me park the bike in their garden area just outside the front door. Highly recommended. There are at least two good restaurants in the town too.

Now the tour ...

Stay on this road as it gets more and more industrialised, you'll pass a few mines until you get to El Entrego which has one of the best mining museums I've been in (I've been in a few).

http://www.mumi.es/

Give yourself 3 hours for a proper look around.

From there I rode directly over the tops on the LA-7. This road has lots of mines all around, each one in really beautiful surroundings, most of them sadly closed, some only recently as the Spanish economy has gone tits up and the mining subsidy has been removed. You'll see lots of people wearing black ribbons and black ribbon symbols daubed on walls. Last summer we even managed unwittingly to get involved in a protest which turned a bit nasty - time for a sharp exit! One of the mines on the LA-7 has been turned into an Ecocentre (it closed as a mine in 2002) but I didn't stop - I'd be interested to know what's there.

You get so used to seeing British mines (well you did before the 1980's) in a kind of industrial wasteland that headframes in these beautiful wooded mountains are a bit of a shock.

We explored a few mining sites on foot, but be careful shafts are unfenced!!!! Locals are very friendly especially if you can profess solidarity with the cause. Industrial relations are very 1970's with the hammer and sickle painted on walls etc.

The LA-7 took us over the top to the AS-337 - fab road with lots of exciting detours and a nice restaurant/bar with good views where the two meet. The AS337 (back towards the Oviedo/Leon Road) along the valley of the Turon is an industrial archaeology paradise. There are mining remains every few Km.

For example ...

Campo del Tabla is a mine with an horrific story to tell - just read the interpretation boards and weep! You'll need a bit of Spanish but you'll get the gist with a phrase book.

At Santandres there's a headframe that looks like a swiss chalet on stilts!

San Francisco has an old steam loco near the roundabout and a very modern (and closed) mine. You have to go round the one way system to see it. Lots of great revolutionary murals around.

When I hit the A-66 I went (towards Leon) up to Pola de Lena and then took the AS-231. The road has more mines and precipitous drops. Just follow it until it reaches the N-630 and back to the A-66. AS-116 back towards Langreo and the mining museum or stay on the A-66 and go towards Oviedo, Gijon and the coast.

You can check out the route on Google Maps. You'll see that the views are spectacular to say the least.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&...0.126286,0.308647&vpsrc=6&hl=en&mra=ls&num=10
Click to expand...


Now you're talking my kind of language :JB

Thank you for going to so much effort, it is really appreciated, I will have a proper look at all you say and get back to you.... It's going to be a busy Christmas on the computer :thumb

I hate mile munching for the sake of it and have organised a few tours to the Alps with some peeps who only seem to see Tarmac. Nothing wrong with that if that is what turns them on but In my opinion, it is really nice to immerse yourself in the scenery and culture even if I am steadfastly incapable of learning the local language other than a few basics ;)
 
Accommodation

Google la Pisa about £55 half board superb place & the is simply stunning

Or if you want a top hotel - hotel de l'oso @ cosgaya - again stunning
 
JohnnyBoxer said:
Accommodation

Google la Pisa about £55 half board superb place & the is simply stunning

Or if you want a top hotel - hotel de l'oso @ cosgaya - again stunning
Click to expand...

I've stayed at the Casona de Cosgaya opposite the de l'oso - also excellent.
 
JohnnyBoxer said:
Accommodation

Google la Pisa about £55 half board superb place & the is simply stunning

Or if you want a top hotel - hotel de l'oso @ cosgaya - again stunning
Click to expand...

Or if you want a really nice hotel in Cosgaya (between Potes & Fuente De) without the expense of the Hotel De L'oso, then this one just across the road from it is excellent - and you can always nip across to the posh one for dinner & drinks :D

I'd rate it above the Torrecerado for accommodation & value for money, but they don't speak much english, so you won't get the banter you get with Jim & Pilar

http://www.hotelcosgaya.es
 
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