© ParadoresHotelParador de Fuente Dé
Why we like it: Modern mountain refuge at the foot of the cable car, inside the Picos de Europa, with spacious rooms, a restaurant and pets admitted. Closed in the depths of winter.
Duration3 nights
CanyonNavedo · 2–3 h · from €70
Cares22 km round trip · over 5 h
UrrielluFrom Sotres · 4 h climb · 1,070 m
Best timeJuly – September
Budget€300–400 pp
The route
3 stops, one after another
- 11 nightLiébana and Potes
Navedo canyon, Santo Toribio and dinner in Potes
- 21 nightCabrales
The Cares gorge from Poncebos to Caín and back
- 31 nightCabrales
Climb from Sotres to the Vega de Urriellu, at the foot of the Naranjo
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for four days from July to September, when the Navedo runs with summer water, the bus from Arenas to Poncebos and Sotres operates and the Vega de Urriellu is free of snow. Book the Urriellu refuge first, as it fills up at weekends, and then the canyon with Liébana Aventura, which sets the meeting point.
Day 1
- 110:00Navedo canyon
With Liébana Aventura, in the La Hermida gorge: two or three hours in the water among beeches and chestnuts, with jumps, slides, abseils and swimming stretches. Beginner level, from age 8. The meeting point is confirmed when booking.
- 216:30Santo Toribio and Potes
The monastery, 3 km from Potes, holds the Lignum Crucis; entry is free. Then a stroll over the bridges and the tower of Potes and dinner of cocido lebaniego or roast lechazo at Casa Cayo. Night at the Posada San Pelayo.
Day 2
- 18:00To Cabrales and the Cares gorge
An hour via La Hermida and Panes to Arenas. Leave your things at Hotel Torrecerredo and go down to Poncebos on the seasonal bus: there is no room to park there. From the Poncebos bridge to Caín and back, 22 km along the path cut into the rock.
- 219:30Dinner in Arenas
Home-cooked dinner at the hotel and a packed lunch ordered for the next day.
Day 3
- 18:00Sotres and the climb to Urriellu
Half an hour by car to Sotres, the highest village in Cabrales. From there, the PR-PNPE 21: about four hours and 1,070 metres of ascent to the Vega de Urriellu. Arrive before 19:00 so as not to lose your place; dinner at the refuge.
Day 4
- 19:00Descent, Casa Cipriano and the cheese cave
Descend to Sotres by the same path and have a mountain lunch at Casa Cipriano: fabada, kid or tortos with Cabrales. It does not publish opening hours: call ahead. Back in Arenas, the cheese cave: 45 minutes with a tasting, €6.
Picos de Europa is best crossed from side to side rather than from a single village. This plan enters through Cantabria and leaves through Asturias, and each night goes up a step: the first in a manor house in Liébana after a canyon among beech trees, the second in Arenas de Cabrales after the Cares gorge, and the third at 1,960 metres, in the refuge at the Vega de Urriellu, with the west face of the Naranjo de Bulnes above your head.
Three days, three different efforts
The Navedo canyon is the water day: short, fun and with no previous experience needed. Liébana Aventura lists €80 per person for two, €70 from three and €60 for families with minors; it includes a qualified guide, wetsuit, harness, helmet, insurance and photos. You need to be able to swim.
The Cares route is the long day: Turismo Asturias classifies it as very hard, not because of the slope, which is concentrated at the beginning, but because of the 22 km and a path a metre and a half wide with almost no railing on any stretch. Set out early, carry two litres of water per person and do not count on springs.
The climb to Urriellu is the real mountain day: 12 km from Sotres and over a thousand metres of ascent. The National Park rates it medium difficulty, and high with snow. If you find a space in the car parks at the Pandébano pass you save about 5 km each way; sleeping in the car is not allowed at Pandébano.
The night at the refuge
The Urriellu refuge belongs to the Asturian federation and is staffed from 15 March to 15 December. You sleep in continuous 16-place bunks, with mattress, pillow and duvet; there are no showers or free kitchen. A bed costs €20 for non-members and dinner €19; breakfast, €8. It is booked through the Picos de Europa refuge central booking, and the place is held if you arrive before 19:00. Animals are not accepted.
| Night | Where | What it has |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Posada San Pelayo, 5 km from Potes | A 13-room stone manor house with garden and pool; double from €90 |
| 2 | Hotel Torrecerredo, Arenas de Cabrales | 19 rooms, home-cooked dinner and packed lunch; closed from 6 January to 26 March |
| 3 | Urriellu refuge, 1,960 m | Continuous bunks, the refuge's half board |
What it costs
Counting the manor house and the hotel with breakfast, half board at the refuge, the canyon, the Poncebos bus, the cheese cave and meals, allow between €300 and €400 per person.
Map
The stops, in order
Plan the trip
Liébana and Potes, 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 Liébana and Potes
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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, the only practical way
Liébana is explored by car: Potes, Santo Toribio and Fuente Dé are all on a single road, and the La Hermida spa is on the road in. You enter through the gorge from the coast, or over the San Glorio or Piedrasluengas passes from Castile.
70–120 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepPosada San Pelayo, a manor…
- Getting aroundN-621 through the gorge from…
- EatCocido lebaniego at Casa Cayo…
- ServicesSotama Visitor Centre, in Tama
Sleep
- Posada San Pelayo, a manor house with a garden in the Camaleño valley, doubles from €90
- Hotel del Oso, in Cosgaya, doubles from €87 and a pool
- Parador de Fuente Dé, at the foot of the cable car, closed in midwinter
Getting around
- N-621 through the gorge from Unquera, about 45 minutes from Panes to Potes
- The Potes to Fuente Dé road, which ends at the cable car
- Park at the entrance to Potes: the centre is narrow
Eat
- Cocido lebaniego at Casa Cayo, in Potes
- Grilled meats at the Asador Llorente
- The parador dining room, at the foot of the cable car
Services
- Sotama Visitor Centre, in Tama
- Electric charging at the Fuente Dé cable car
On foot in the Picos, with the cable car as a lift
The cable car drops you at 1,823 metres without tiring your legs: from there start routes such as the descent via Áliva or the climb towards Horcados Rojos. Federated mountaineers have their own fare, with booking 72 hours ahead.
60–110 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepParador de Fuente Dé, right…
- Getting aroundCable car to El Cable…
- EatEl Cable café, at the…
- ServicesSotama Visitor Centre: route and…
Sleep
- Parador de Fuente Dé, right where the routes start
- Posada San Pelayo, in the valley, with a €12 breakfast
- Hotel del Oso, in Cosgaya, a few minutes from the cable car
Getting around
- Cable car to El Cable and walk down via Áliva, 14.5 km
- With a guide: via ferratas, canyoning or snowshoeing with Liébana Aventura
Eat
- El Cable café, at the top of the cable car
- Bring water and food: at Áliva there is only the refuge hotel
Services
- Sotama Visitor Centre: route and snow conditions
- AEMET mountain forecast for the Picos, with avalanche risk in winter
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights3
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingif you're on foot
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
© ParadoresHotel
Hotel del Oso
Why we like it: Family hotel with 50 rooms in Cosgaya, in two stone-and-timber manor houses, with an outdoor pool, tennis, children's games and cocido in its dining room. Double from €87.
From €87
View details
Posada San Pelayo
Why we like it: Stone manor house with 13 rooms in San Pelayo, 5 km from Potes on the way to Fuente Dé, with a 2,000 m² garden crossed by a stream and a pool. Double from €90.
From €90
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Hotel Balneario La Hermida
Why we like it: Four-star spa hotel with 57 rooms in the La Hermida Gorge, with thermal circuit included for guests, an outdoor thermal cave and the Río Deva restaurant.
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Potes | Base with everything to hand, restaurants | |
| Camaleño valley | Stately houses and hotels on the way to Fuente Dé | |
| La Hermida | Spa and gorge |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Liébana and Potes
Casa Cayo Restaurant
What to order: the cocido lebaniego, and if there are several of you, the roast suckling lamb; for something quick, portions at the bar
Asador Llorente
What to order: cocido lebaniego to start and charcoal-grilled red meat; for dessert, the cheesecake
© ParadoresParador de Fuente Dé Restaurant
What to order: the cocido lebaniego or the sirloin with Tresviso cheese, and the cheese board
Hotel del Oso Restaurant
What to order: the cocido lebaniego (€14) or the montañés; for a main, the mushroom-stuffed trotters, and for dessert the rice pudding or the Liébana fresh-cheese tart
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
If the forecast for Day 3 brings thick fog or a storm, change the order: do Urriellu on Day 2 and the Cares on Day 3. The Cares, enclosed, stands up to bad weather better than the Vega.
We'd skip it
August on the Cares at midday: the gorge fills up and the initial climb takes a lot of sun. If there is no alternative, start before nine.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need mountain experience?
For the canyon, no. The Cares and Urriellu call for strong legs and the habit of long days; with fog on Urriellu, navigation experience or the patience to wait for it to lift.
Can it be done the other way round, from Asturias to Cantabria?
Yes: Urriellu first, the Cares afterwards and the canyon at the end, with the return from Potes.
Do I need to book the Urriellu refuge?
Yes, through the Picos de Europa refuge central booking. In summer and at weekends, well ahead.
Can teenagers go?
The canyon, from age 8. The Cares, the Principality recommends from 12. Urriellu, only with teenagers used to walking: it is 24 km between the ascent and the descent.