Fuentes de Invierno car park

Fuentes de Invierno is a small resort that is easy to park at. It has its own free car park at the end of a 400-metre turning off the AS-253 road, the one that climbs up the Aller valley towards the San Isidro pass and La Raya. It is divided into two areas: one for four coaches and another with 800 spaces for cars. It is free, so the only problem is arriving on time on days of heavy snow.

Getting there by car

From Oviedo it is about 65 kilometres. Take the A-66 towards Mieres, Lena and León; at Uxo continue along the AS-112 towards Moreda and Cabañaquinta, and then along the AS-253 towards La Raya. Shortly before the pass, a turning on the right leads, along a 400-metre road, to the car park.

From León it is about 84 kilometres: N-621 towards La Raya, the Puente Villarente to Boñar road (CV-3141) and the LE-331. On crossing the pass you go down towards Asturias and take the first turning on the left.

Before setting out, check the snow report on the resort's website and the state of the pass road: in winter you may need to carry chains or winter tyres, and it is the road that decides whether you arrive or not, more than the car park.

What there is beside the car park

Everything is concentrated at the base, so there is very little between the car and the slope. There you have the resort's café-restaurant, which opens Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 17:30 and at weekends and on public holidays from 8:00 to 18:00; the equipment hire, with 300 ski sets and 80 snowboards; the ski and snowboard school, with an office from 9:00 to 16:30; and the infirmary.

The ticket offices open daily from 8:45 to 16:30 without closing at midday, and the lifts run from 9:00 to 16:30. On 25 December they close at midday and on 1 January they open only in the afternoon. If you want to ski from first thing, arrive before nine: that way you park, change and buy the lift pass without rushing.

Tips

The 800 spaces go a long way at a resort of this size, but on Saturdays with good snow and on public holidays is when the most people come up. If it snows during the day, leave time to clear the car and fit chains before going down. If you do not want to drive over the pass, at weekends and public holidays in season there is a bus from Oviedo and Gijón.

To see what the resort offers, see skiing at Fuentes de Invierno and the snowshoe and sledge hire. If you are looking for somewhere to sleep nearby, Casa El Rápido is in Felechosa, on the same road, and San Isidro is on the other side of the pass.