Casa Miño Restaurant
What to order: the pote de berzas and, for a main course, the meat from its cows
geocalia
Day itinerary · 43.09° N · 6.26° W
Glacial lakes in the morning, and, as evening falls, in search of the bear.
The Saliencia lakes route in the morning, Asturian lunch in Pola de Somiedo and, at dusk, an outing with a guide and a telescope to try to see the brown bear.
Leaving from
Part of SomiedoCantabrian CoastPicos de EuropaCamino del Norte
Add to my trip
Total time13 h
By car1 h 45 each way
On foot7.6 km, 318 m of ascent
Bears4 h with a guide, €50
DifficultyMedium
Best timeMay, June and September
AgeBears from age 8
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Oviedo 1 h 45 by car
from Oviedo via Grado and the Pigüeña valley; from León via Babia
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1
Saliencia lakes route from La Farrapona
from the Alto de la Farrapona · 7.6 km circular walk, 3 to 5 h
- 30 min by car21,7 km
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2
Casa Miño Restaurant
in Pola de Somiedo · lunches until 15:30 · closed Tuesdays
Calle Rafael Rey López, 33840 Pola de Somiedo · +34 985 763 661
Restaurant €€Book - 5 min on foot
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3
Guided brown bear watching in Somiedo
Somiedo Experience · afternoon outing from Pola · €50, ages 8 to 12 €25
+34 657 081 953
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Back home
In Oviedo around 23:00
Approximate cost
About €70–85 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Saliencia lakes route from La Farrapona
A long day, but the one that best sums up Somiedo: high mountain with glacial lakes in the morning and, in the afternoon, the wait for the bear with a guide who knows where to look. If you can, sleep in Pola and return the next day.
The day, hour by hour
8:00 · Set off. From Oviedo, an hour and a quarter to Pola de Somiedo and another half hour of pass to La Farrapona; from León, via Babia, about two hours.
10:00 · Saliencia lakes. A 7.6 km circuit from the Alto de la Farrapona, at 1,708 m, past the Cueva, Almagrera, Cerveriz and Calabazosa lakes. Bring water and a coat.
14:30 · Lunch at Casa Miño. In Pola de Somiedo: pote de berzas from their own garden and meat from their own cows. The kitchen closes at 15:30: if you are cutting it fine, call.
17:30 · Bears with a guide. Somiedo Experience leaves from Pola with groups of two to eight: an interpretive walk and a wait with a telescope until dark. €50; ages 8 to 12, €25. Seeing a bear is not guaranteed.
21:30 · Head home. Mountain road at night: take it easy.
Distance7.6 km
Ascent318 m
Time4 h
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Hotel Castillo del Alba Restaurant
What to order: the gochu asturcelta, Asturias's native pig; for the walk, the picnic bag
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Somiedo
From May to September, with La Farrapona free of snow and late sunsets. May, June and September are the best months for seeing bears. In winter the passes may close.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the guide
Groups of up to eight; in spring they fill up.
- 2Warm clothes for the wait
At dusk, sitting still on the hillside, it is cold.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the day cost?
Bears with a guide, €50; lunch at Casa Miño, €20 to €35.
Can you do it with children?
From age 8 for the bears. The lakes route, with children who walk; if not, as far as the first lake.
What if I do not see bears?
It can happen: they are wild animals. The walk with the guide is worth it anyway.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/asturias/somiedo/itineraries/lakes-and-bears-from-leon
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.