Hotel Torrecerredo
Why we like it: Small 19-room hotel in the Vega district, three minutes' walk from the centre of Arenas de Cabrales, with a garden, mountain views and home-cooked dinner.
From €87
View details
Duration2 nights
From Oviedo1 h 40
From Santander1 h 20
Best timeJune, September and October
Budget€200–280 pp
Getting thereBy car
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to arrive in Arenas on Friday afternoon. In summer, leave the car at the hotel and go up to Poncebos on the seasonal bus; ask for a packed lunch for the Cares.
Friday
- 119:00Arrival in Arenas
An hour and forty minutes from Oviedo via the A-8 and AS-114, or an hour and twenty from Santander via Panes. Have dinner at Hotel Torrecerredo and ask for a packed lunch for the next day.
Saturday
- 18:30Cares route
Seasonal bus from Arenas to Poncebos or, out of season, drive to Poncebos. The gorge to Caín and back is a whole day: bring water, food and a head torch, and set off early.
- 219:30Dinner in Arenas
Back at the hotel, with the home-cooked dinner that comes with half board.
Sunday
- 110:00Bulnes funicular
From Poncebos, every half hour, €22.16 return. Go up to Bulnes de Arriba and to the Urriellu viewpoint.
- 213:30Cheese cave
In Arenas, the Fundación Cabrales cave exhibition: 45 minutes with a tasting, €6.
- 315:00Pozo de la Oración and the drive back
For the Naranjo de Bulnes from the car, if it is clear, and back along the AS-114.
Cabrales deserves two days: one for walking the Cares gorge from Poncebos, and another, calmer one for going up to Bulnes by funicular and understanding the cheese matured in its caves. With Arenas as your base, everything is less than a quarter of an hour from the hotel.
Where to sleep
In Arenas, the Hotel Torrecerredo, with 19 rooms, home-cooked dinner and packed lunches; it lists a double with breakfast from €87 in low season. If you want to start the Cares without a bus or parking, the Hotel Arcea Mirador de Cabrales is in Poncebos and accepts pets.
Getting around
By car to Arenas. In summer and on the transport plan's dates, the bus to Poncebos leaves Arenas every hour and costs €1.55 each way: there is nowhere to park in Poncebos.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Cabrales, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Cabrales
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
By car to Arenas, by bus to Poncebos
You reach Cabrales by car on the AS-114, from Cangas de Onís in the west or from Panes in the east, and Arenas is the base: from there leave the road to Poncebos and, from Poncebos, the one to Sotres. In summer the car stays in Arenas and you go up on the Principality bus, because in Poncebos there is nowhere to park.
60–120 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotel Torrecerredo, in Arenas, with…
- Getting aroundArenas – Poncebos, 15 minutes…
- Where to eatCasa Cipriano, in Sotres, with…
- ServicesArenas – Poncebos – Sotres…
Where to sleep
- Hotel Torrecerredo, in Arenas, with home-cooked dinner and picnic
- Hotel Arcea Mirador de Cabrales, at Poncebos, with parking and pets
- Casa Cipriano, in Sotres, for the walk to Urriellu
- Camping Naranjo de Bulnes, on the banks of the Cares
Getting around
- Arenas – Poncebos, 15 minutes; seasonal bus at €1.55
- Poncebos – Sotres, a narrow road of about 11 km
- Ovar car park, about 146 spaces, which fills up early
Where to eat
- Casa Cipriano, in Sotres, with fabada and kid
- Hotel picnic for the Cares and the mountain
Services
- Arenas – Poncebos – Sotres bus on the dates of the transport plan
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Arcea Mirador de Cabrales
Why we like it: Two-star hotel at Puente Poncebos, at the foot of the Cares trail and the Bulnes funicular, with its own cider house. Pets welcome; closed in winter.
Hotel Rural Casa Cipriano
Why we like it: Family-run country hotel in Sotres with 16 rooms, views of the central massif, an Asturian cooking restaurant, mountain guides and a 4x4 taxi.
Camping Naranjo de Bulnes
Why we like it: Campsite beside the River Cares on the way out of Arenas towards Panes, with riverside and mountain pitches, bungalows and bunk cabins. Closed November to March.
From €53
View details
Refugio de Urriellu
Why we like it: Staffed refuge of the Asturian federation at 1,960 m, in the Vega de Urriellu, at the foot of the Naranjo de Bulnes: continuous bunks, dinner and breakfast.
From €15
View details
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Arenas de Cabrales | Hotels, cheese cave, cheese dairies, bus to Poncebos | |
| Poncebos and Bulnes | Cares trail, funicular, village with no road | |
| Sotres | Highest village, cheese dairy with cave, climb to Urriellu |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Cabrales
Casa Cipriano Restaurant, in Sotres
What to order: the fabada or the stewed suckling kid, and the blackberry tart for dessert
They have alternatives for coeliacs
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
If Saturday dawns with fog or heavy rain, swap the days: the funicular and the cheese cave work just the same in bad weather.
We'd skip it
The Cares in the middle of August at midday: set off before nine or choose September.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost?
Two nights with half board, the funicular and the cheese cave, between €200 and €280 per person.
Can I do it with children?
The funicular and the cave, yes. The Cares is recommended from age 12; with little ones, do only a stretch.
Do I need to book anything?
The hotel and, in summer, it is wise to call the cheese cave: the groups are of 20 people.