Fuente Dé cable car ticket office and car park

The road that climbs from Potes through the Camaleño valley ends at Fuente Dé, at the foot of the limestone wall of the Picos de Europa. There, at the lower cable car station, you will find the car park, the ticket office and the café. It is the base for going up to El Cable, at 1,823 metres, and for the routes that start from the top, so almost everyone who drives to the end of the valley stops here.

Before you go: closed for works

The cable car closes from 16 November 2026 for improvements. According to its website, the installation will be closed for a few weeks, depending on how the works progress, and the reopening will be announced on the website itself and on Turismo de Cantabria's social media. It also closes on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 and 6 January, and it can stop on any day because of wind or snow, as happened on 9 November 2026. Closures for safety or bad weather do not entitle you to a refund, so check the website before leaving Potes.

Opening hours and ticket office

In autumn and winter it opens Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 to 17:00. The last ascent leaves shortly before closing and the last descent about ten minutes earlier, so do not leave your return to the last minute.

Tickets are bought on the official website, entradas.telefericofuentede.com, or on the day at the ticket office, subject to availability. Each ticket carries a half-hour slot for going up; if you arrive outside it, you cannot use it. Large-family and over-65 tickets are sold only at the ticket office, on showing the document that proves your entitlement. People with a disability of 33% or more get a 50% discount on presenting the certificate at the ticket office. Holders of the Tarjeta Amigo and federated mountaineers must book at least 72 hours ahead through a form and redeem the confirmation email at the ticket office.

In high season the website recommends buying in advance. The return ticket is valid only for the day, and if you walk up or come down another way, you can buy a downhill-only ticket at the upper station, with no booking and on a first-come basis.

Services at the base

Downstairs is the Fuente Dé café, with 200 seats, and Cantur has installed electric car charging points. At the top, the El Cable café has 150 seats and a south-facing balcony, and there is a left-luggage service for pet carriers. Pets travel up in a closed carrier, for a supplement, and in the National Park dogs must be on a lead at all times. Two bicycles fit in each cabin. For queries, Infocantur answers on 942 310 708 and the cable car on 942 736 610.

What to do from here

The ascent, in a 20-person cabin, takes about three minutes forty seconds: see the entry for the Fuente Dé cable car. From El Cable starts the walk down through the Áliva pastures, which ends back at this car park. In winter, with snow, you can go snowshoeing with a guide.

To eat or sleep without going anywhere, the Parador de Fuente Dé is next door, with its restaurant. On the way down to Potes, at Cosgaya, is the Hotel del Oso. If you are heading out on routes in the National Park, call in first at the Sotama Visitor Centre, in Tama.