Las Médulas Perimeter Trail

Trail L1 goes round the core of the Roman mine through the three municipalities that share it: Borrenes, Carucedo and Puente de Domingo Flórez. The Junta describes it as circular, 10.5 km and 404 m of ascent, of medium difficulty; allow about four hours on foot with stops. It can also be done by mountain bike: in the cycling version the perimeter variant rises to 14.5 km, five hours and high difficulty.

What you will see

It is the route for seeing Las Médulas from every side in one day without repeating yourself: chestnut groves, pinnacles, channels and hamlets. Las Médulas was a Roman gold mine, now a World Heritage Site, and the landscape is the work of the miners: according to the Junta, more than 400 km of channels were dug and up to 60,000 people came to work there. Going round the whole, you grasp the scale of the work better than from any single viewpoint.

Along the way you find chestnuts, heathers, brooms and carqueixa, and in the hills live wolves, wild boar, partridges and rabbits.

How to organise it

The practical thing is to start in the village of Las Médulas, where the entrance car park is and, 400 metres away, the Visitor Reception Centre, with trail maps. You can also set out from Carucedo, next to the Park House. Look at the map in one of the two before setting off: the route links with other trails in the Natural Monument and it is useful to know at which junctions to continue.

Bring water, because in summer the sun is strong on the open stretches, and mountain footwear. The best time is spring and autumn; in October and November, the chestnut trees are golden. With children, it is long: better for youngsters who already do half-day outings.

To complete it

If you do not want the full loop, combine short stretches: the Valiñas amphitheatre from the village, the Sumido lake trail, flat and for small children, or the Reirigo trail, along the ridge towards Carucedo. The best overall view is at the Orellán viewpoint, with paid parking next to it.

For eating afterwards, at Orellán there is O Palleiro, with views of the mine, and in the village of Las Médulas, the Medulio restaurant. If you do the loop by bike, they can also be rented at the visitor centre.