Parador de Fuente Dé

Where the Camaleño valley road ends, inside the Picos de Europa National Park and a few steps from the cable car's lower station, is the Parador de Fuente Dé. It is a modern mountain building, with warm interiors, spacious rooms and lounges that look onto the walls of the Fuente Dé cirque. At night, when the cable car closes and the cars leave, Fuente Dé falls silent.

At the foot of the cable car and the Áliva route

The reason to sleep here is to be at the door of the mountain. In the morning you walk to the cable car ticket office before the cars from Potes arrive; from October to the end of the year it opens at 10:00 on weekdays and at 9:00 at weekends. At the top begins the descent through the Áliva pastures, 14.5 km that end again at Fuente Dé, at the parador's door.

In November 2026: the cable car closes for works from 16 November, for a few weeks. If you book for those dates, count on there being no ride up.

With a dog, a bike, an electric car

The parador admits pets, with conditions to read when booking. Note that in the National Park the dog must always be on a lead and that on the cable car it goes up only in a closed carrier, with a supplement. It is set up for cycle tourists and has an electric-car charging point.

Dining without going down to the valley

The parador restaurant serves Liébana cooking: cocido, Liébana cheeses, sirloin with Tresviso cheese and local meats. It is also open to those who are not staying, so in summer it is wise to book a table even if you are sleeping in the building.

The road to the very end

From Santander it is 135 km: the A-8 to Unquera, the N-621 through the La Hermida Gorge to Potes and, from there, the Fuente Dé road until it runs out. The last kilometres climb the Camaleño valley through Cosgaya and Espinama.

Closed in the harshest winter

It closes from 22 to 31 December 2026 and from 1 January to 23 February 2027. For summer and long weekends, book in good time. Telephone, 942 736 651; email, [email protected]. Tourist registration number: G-5129.