# A day in Cabrales: the funicular to Bulnes, lunch in Sotres and the Maín cheese cave

You go up to Bulnes on the funicular from Poncebos, have fabada or kid in Sotres and go down to a cave where Cabrales cheese matures. 1 h 40 from Oviedo.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/asturias/cabrales/itineraries/funicular-cheese-dairy-and-sotres · Revisado: 2026-11-13

## El día
- 08:30 · Salida: 1 h 30 by car (via the A-8 to Arriondas, Cangas de Onís and the AS-114 to Arenas)
- 10:30 · Funicular from Poncebos to Bulnes (€22.16 return · departures every 30 min · go up to Bulnes de Arriba and the Urriellu viewpoint)
  - 30 min by car, 11,5 km
- 13:45 · Casa Cipriano Restaurant, in Sotres (Casa Cipriano · fabada or suckling kid · €€ · booking) · Casa Cipriano Restaurant, in Sotres, €€
  - 1 min on foot
- 16:30 · Visit to a Cabrales dairy and its cave, in Sotres or Arenas (Quesería Maín · €12.50 · 2 h with cave and tasting · book on its website only) · Quesería Maín, From €13 per person
- 18:45 · Vuelta (In Oviedo around 21:00)

Cabrales can be seen in a day without doing the Cares route. This plan goes up in the morning to Bulnes, the village that no road reaches, on the Poncebos funicular; eats in Sotres, the highest village in the municipality, in a walkers' eatery, and ends by going down to a natural cave where a family matures its Cabrales cheese.

## The day, hour by hour

8:30 · Set off. From Oviedo, the A-8 to Arriondas and then Cangas de Onís and the AS-114 to Arenas and Poncebos. It is a little over an hour and a half. In summer and on the dates of the transport plan, leave the car at Arenas and take the 10:00 bus up to Poncebos.

10:30 · Funicular to Bulnes. It leaves every half hour from Poncebos, next to the start of the Cares. At the top, go round La Villa, climb to Bulnes de Arriba and walk to the Urriellu viewpoint, a quarter of an hour away. Come down at midday.

13:45 · Lunch at Casa Cipriano. From Poncebos to Sotres is 11 km of mountain road, about 23 minutes. Fabada made with beans from the farm or suckling kid stewed with small potatoes, and blackberry tart. Book by phone.

16:30 · Maín Cheese Dairy. A few steps away, in Sotres itself. The visit starts in the workshop, climbs on foot for a quarter of an hour to a cave where the cheeses mature and comes back for a tasting of the house's three cheeses. Two hours. Check in inside the dairy on arrival.

18:45 · Head home. In Oviedo around nine.

## How much it costs

The funicular, €22.16 return; the dairy, €12.50; lunch, between €20 and €35 per person. With the Arenas bus, €3.10 more. In total, between €55 and €75 per person, not counting the car.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
On the A-8 and the AS-114 to Arenas. In season, the car stays at Arenas: the bus to Poncebos takes 15 minutes and stops at Ovar. To Sotres you drive up or, in season, take the Arenas bus with a change at Poncebos.

## Consejos

### Book the dairy before anything else
Maín only takes bookings on its website, non-refundable, and places are few.

### Funicular first thing
The departures before eleven are emptier.

## Cuándo no ir

A Saturday in August with a car as far as Poncebos: there is nowhere to park.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does it take from Oviedo?
A little over an hour and a half to Arenas, and ten minutes more to Poncebos.

### Can children go?
Yes to the funicular. The Maín cave is not recommended for under-6s; with little ones, swap the afternoon for the cave exhibition at Arenas.

### Can you do it in winter?
The funicular runs all year. Quesería Maín is closed for holidays in November 2026.