# Leitariegos and the Laciana Valley The ski resort of the Laciana valley: season from 1 December to 4 April, lift pass from €15, four-resort pass at €70 and guided snowshoeing. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/leitariegos-and-laciana-valley · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Leitariegos is the pass that links the León valley of Laciana with the Asturian valley of Cangas del Narcea, and on its León side stands one of the smallest and cheapest ski resorts in Spain. It is run by the Diputación de León: 15 pistes covering 7.44 km between 1,513 and 1,800 metres, seven lifts, a snowpark and no queues. It is not for anyone seeking big vertical drops, but it is ideal for learning, for going with children or for skiing on a Sunday without spending much. All around, the Laciana valley is a Biosphere Reserve, with summer pastures (brañas), birch and yew woods, capercaillie and bears, and a greenway along the old mining railway. ## When does the 2026-2027 season open? Opening is planned for 1 December 2026 and closing for 4 April 2027: a 125-day season, provided there is snow. The actual opening each day depends on the snow report, so check the resort's website and webcams before setting out. The ticket offices open from 9:00 to 17:00, and the lifts run from 9:15 to 16:45 in the lower area and from 9:30 to 16:30 in the upper one. ## How much does skiing cost? The day lift pass costs €22 for an adult in high season and €15 in low season; for children, €16 and €12. On low-season Tuesdays there is a "skier's day" at €11, and the beginner pass, for the learning area, costs €16 or €12. There are passes for two to five days, consecutive or not. And the "4 days / 4 resorts" pass, which is also valid at San Isidro, Valgrande-Pajares and Fuentes de Invierno, costs €70 for an adult and €55 for a child, the same price in high and low season. It is bought online, but you need a €2 card that you pick up at the ticket office; as there is no capacity problem, you don't need to buy in advance. ## How do you get there? From León or Oviedo, take the A-66 to exit 93 and the CL-623 towards Villablino; then the CL-631 via Caboalles de Abajo towards the pass. It is about 110 km from León and 120 from Oviedo, in a little under two hours; from Ponferrada, 73 km. Villablino is 15 km from the resort. In winter, carry snow chains or winter tyres: the last stretch climbs up to the pass. The resort has car parks at the foot of the pistes. ## Rental, lessons and snowshoes Cuetu d'Arbas rents equipment at the pass, 500 metres from the resort, and in Villablino, where it also rents snow clothing and delivers the equipment on Friday afternoon. A full ski kit costs €15 a day, with a free helmet. The Escuela Oficial Leitariegos runs weekend courses, from 11:30 to 14:30, in groups of 5 to 9, as well as private lessons; it also organises guided snowshoe routes, by day and by night, for those who don't ski. ## Without snow: the Laciana valley Outside the season, or in the afternoon after skiing, head down into the valley. The Vía Verde runs from Villablino to Caboalles de Arriba along the old mining railway: 6.2 km, paved, flat and accessible. In Caboalles de Arriba is the Centro del Urogallo (capercaillie centre), and nearby the devesa de Caboalles, with its birch wood turning golden in October. ## Where to stay and eat In the valley. La Campanona, in Villager de Laciana, is a six-room hotel with breakfast and a home-cooking restaurant, open Tuesday to Sunday by reservation. La Bolera, in Robles de Laciana, has eight rooms, one of them a quadruple, and a restaurant serving León cuisine. At the foot of the pistes, the resort has a cafeteria, a restaurant and a self-service. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Somiedo (a 16.8 km), Oviedo (a 61.3 km), Las Médulas (a 66.4 km), Cudillero (a 66.5 km) ## Qué hacer - **Skiing at the Valle Laciana-Leitariegos Resort** (7 h · Beginners, families and intermediate skiers · Day pass €22 in high season and €15 in low · children €16 and €12 · low-season Tuesday, €11): Leitariegos is the ski resort of the Diputación de León on the pass of the same name, at the head of the Laciana valley, on the border with Asturias. It is small and manageable: fifteen pistes with 7.44 km of skiable terrain, between 1,513 and 1,800 metres, and seven lifts. It suits beginners, families and intermediate skiers looking for a day's skiing at a good price. Pistes and lifts Of the 7.44 km, 0.8 are green pistes, 4.1 blue and 2.5 red, in four green, seven blue and four red; there are no blacks. There is also a 260-metre snowpark. The lifts are two chairlifts, three drag lifts and two conveyor belts for beginners, with a capacity of about 5,840 people an hour. Season and hours For the 2026-2027 season opening is planned for 1 December and closing for 4 April, about 125 days, always depending on the snow: check the report before you set out. The ticket offices and information office are open from 9:00 to 17:00; equipment hire, from 9:00 to 16:45; the lower-zone lifts, from 9:15 to 16:45, and the upper-zone ones, from 9:30 to 16:30. Cheap lift passes Adult day: €22 in high season and €15 in low. Child day (ages 6 to 13): €16 and €12. Low-season Tuesdays, "skier's day": €11. Beginners: €16 and €12; four hours: €19 and €13. Lift ride ticket, without skiing: €5. Several consecutive days: from €33 (two days in high season) to €60 (five days). The "4 días / 4 estaciones" pass, at €70, is valid for Leitariegos, San Isidro, Valgrande-Pajares and Fuentes de Invierno. The passes include first-aid insurance. Online sales normally open every Monday for the week, on the Nieveleón gateway. To avoid the queue you need a €2 card that is bought at the ticket office and topped up afterwards. There is no capacity problem, so there is no need to buy days in advance. Hire and schools The resort hires full equipment (skis, boots and poles) for €14 a day, and at the foot of the piste there is also Alquiler Cuetu d'Arbas, with full equipment from €15 and helmet included. There are two schools: the Escuela Oficial Leitariegos, with three-hour weekend courses, and the Escuela de Esquí y Snowboard Valle Laciana-Leitariegos. Getting there and services The resort is on the LE-497, km 10, in Caboalles de Abajo (Villablino). Villablino is 15 km away, Cangas de Narcea 35, Ponferrada 73, León about 100 via Omaña and Oviedo 120. Up top there is parking, a café, a restaurant and self-service and a picnic area. To sleep in the valley, the Hotel Rural La Campanona, in Villager, is about twenty minutes away. If you prefer to walk on the snow, there are snowshoe routes in the surroundings. - **4 Days / 4 Resorts" Pass for León and Asturias** (7 h · Skiers who want to move around the range · €70 adult · €55 child): The "4 días / 4 estaciones" lift pass for León and Asturias costs €70 for adults and €55 for children, with no difference between high and low season, according to the Leitariegos lift-pass table. It is valid for skiing at the four public resorts of the range: Valle Laciana-Leitariegos and San Isidro, in León, and Valgrande-Pajares and Fuentes de Invierno, in Asturias. How it works According to the resort's conditions, the pass includes four days plus one extra day. You have to ski one day at each of the four resorts, and the fifth day can be repeated at any of them; to use that fifth day you do not need to have completed the other four first. It is valid on any day of the winter season in which it is bought, provided the relevant resort is open. The days do not have to be consecutive. The children's rate applies up to and including age 13; from 14 the adult rate is paid, and at the ticket office they may ask for identity documents. Is it worth it? It depends on what you want to do. If you are only going to ski at Leitariegos, no: there the four-consecutive-day pass costs €54 for adults in high season and €39 in low season, and the four alternate days, €61. The pass is worth it if you want to get to know all four resorts in the same season: for €70 you get five ski days spread at your own pace, whereas four single adult days at Leitariegos, in high season at €22 a day, would come to €88. For children, the pass costs €55; at Leitariegos, four consecutive children's days cost €43 in high season and €33 in low. Where to buy The resort sells its lift passes online, on the Nieveleón gateway of the Diputación de León, and at the ticket offices. To buy online and avoid the queue you need a rechargeable €2 card, bought at the ticket office. Lift passes are not refundable, and a lost one is not replaced. The table does not specify the sales channel for the pass, so ask at the Leitariegos resort, on 987 688 104, how it is bought and activated at each resort. The high and low season dates are set by the Diputación before each season. For planning Leitariegos is the smallest and most family-friendly of the four: see the skiing at Leitariegos listing for pistes, lifts and hours. If someone in your group does not ski, the snowshoe routes leave from the same resort. To sleep in the Laciana valley, see the La Bolera rural hotel, in Robles de Laciana. - **Snowshoe Routes at Leitariegos, by Day or Night** (3 h · Almost all ages; no experience needed): The Escuela Oficial Leitariegos, registered as an active tourism company with the Junta (TA-LE-037), goes out each week on snowshoes around the resort, by day and at night, mainly at weekends. They go with qualified guides, approved equipment and civil liability and accident insurance. It is a way to see the snow without skiing and is suitable for almost any age. The routes The school publishes five itineraries, all close to the resort, and adapts them to the group's technical and physical level: Ruta por la Estación: low difficulty, half a day. Ruta de la Laguna: medium difficulty, half a day. Ruta del Cuetu d'Arbás: high difficulty, half a day. Ruta Leitariegos–Genestoso: high difficulty, full day. Night route around the resort, with dinner at the foot of the piste: low or medium difficulty. The school presents it as a full-moon outing. It does not publish distances or departure times: the date and meeting point are confirmed when you book, depending on the snow. Booking Book online, in the booking system on its website, or on 987 910 051 and 689 899 615 and at info@eoleitariegos.com. Prices are shown when you book; its snowshoe page does not publish them. The booking and cancellation conditions are on its website. The school is at the winter resort, on the Leitariegos pass, in the municipality of Caboalles de Abajo. On your own If you prefer to go on your own, Cuetu d'Arbas hires snowshoes on the pass, 500 metres from the resort, for €11 for half a day and €20 for the day. The Escuela Oficial itself also hires them and advises you on routes according to the snow, the duration and your level. Do not leave the marked paths without knowing the area: in fog, it is easy to lose your bearings in the high Cantabrian mountains. What to bring and when Snow season, which at the resort runs from December to April if the snow is there. Waterproof layered clothing, gloves, hat, sunglasses and sun cream, even if it is cloudy, and mountain boots: the snowshoes strap onto them. For the night outing, a head torch and one more warm layer. To combine If there are skiers in the group, snowshoeing is the perfect plan for the non-skier while the others are on the pistes: see the skiing at Leitariegos listing and the resort listing, with a café and self-service at the foot of the piste. Down in the valley, the Capercaillie Centre explains the fauna that lives under that snow; it is open at weekends, by booking, and closed from 20 December to February. - **Laciana Greenway, from Villablino to Caboalles de Arriba** (2 h · 6.2 km · Everyone; accessible by wheelchair and pushchair · Free): The Greenway follows the line of the mining railway that brought coal down from the pits to Villablino. It is 6.2 km of tarmac between Villablino and Caboalles de Arriba, with no climbs and accessible to wheelchairs, on foot or by bike, with the remains of the mines in view and the valley of the Laciana Biosphere Reserve around. At the end, in Caboalles de Arriba, there is a group of hórreos (granaries) and the Capercaillie Centre. It is the plan for the day with no snow or for the afternoon after skiing. What you will see The town council sums it up as a walk through mining valleys with history. Coal mining was the economic engine of Laciana for more than a century, and along the way you see remains of the old railway and of the mining industrial heritage. Around are peaks of more than 2,000 metres and mixed forests where protected species such as the bear and the capercaillie live. In Caboalles de Arriba, at the end, there is a group of hórreos and the Capercaillie Centre, which explains the fauna and life of the valley; call first to book, because without a booking it cannot be visited. Distance and versions The municipal stretch, from Villablino to Caboalles de Arriba, measures 6.2 km. Turismo de Castilla y León lists in the Biosphere Reserve the "Vía Verde y Camino Natural" with 14 linear km, to do on foot or by bike, so the full route is longer than the town stretch. For children or an afternoon walk, the 6.2 km stretch is enough: a little over an hour each way on foot, quite a bit less by bike. Getting there Villablino is 110 km from León, 62 from Ponferrada and 107 from Oviedo, according to the town council, and has direct Alsa buses from all three cities. You can start in Villablino and finish in Caboalles, or the other way round. At the Villablino tourist office, on Plaza Sierra Pambley, they give you information on the route. Tips In winter, if it has snowed, the tarmac may be icy; the rest of the year it is done without problems. Being accessible and flat, it suits wheelchairs, pushchairs and children's bikes. To hire a bike, the La Bolera rural hotel, in Robles de Laciana, hires bikes. Beside the Greenway, in Villager, is La Campanona, with its restaurant of home cooking, open Tuesday to Sunday by booking. If you want to keep walking, from Caboalles you reach the Caboalles birch wood, the best-known forest in the valley. - **The Birch Wood and Devesa of Caboalles** (2 h · Families and walkers · Free): The devesa (wooded pasture) of Caboalles is the best-known forest in Laciana, according to Villablino town council: yews, hollies, oaks and birches, with wild boar, foxes and roe deer. In autumn the birch wood turns yellow and ochre, and the walk, with no big climbs, suits families. It is one of the best plans in the valley when there is no snow on the pass. The forest The Laciana valley is a Biosphere Reserve and has more than 3,500 hectares of forest, which Turismo de Castilla y León describes as one of the best-preserved mixed forests in the Cantabrian Mountains. There are oaks, beeches, ash trees, hazels, willows, birches, hollies and yews. Above the forest are the bilberries, the high-mountain pastures and the brañas, the cattle's summer pastures. The birch is the tree that gives colour to this walk. According to the article the La Bolera rural hotel devotes to it, centuries-old birches mix with oaks and rowans, and along the way you hear the river. In the hills live chamois, roe deer and birds of prey; with luck you will see their tracks. The route The Junta lists the Caboalles mixed forest route in the Biosphere Reserve: linear, 9.4 km, about two and a half hours on foot or an hour and three quarters by bike. You do not need to do all of it: you can walk a stretch and come back the same way. For the starting point and the state of the path, ask at the Villablino tourist office, on Plaza Sierra Pambley. When to go and what to take The best time is autumn, especially October and early November, when the forest turns golden. Wear mountain footwear, because fallen leaves and damp make it slippery, and layers: it is cold in the morning and mild at midday. It is capercaillie country, a protected and very scarce species: do not leave the paths, do not take a dog off the lead and do not make noise. How to combine it Caboalles de Arriba is also where the Laciana Greenway, the old mining railway from Villablino, ends, and where the Capercaillie Centre is, which explains the forest and its fauna; go with a telephone booking. For eating or sleeping in the valley, the La Bolera rural hotel, in Robles de Laciana, has a restaurant and hires bikes, and La Campanona, in Villager, is beside the Greenway. - **Capercaillie Centre in Caboalles de Arriba** (45 min · Families): In Caboalles de Arriba, next to the municipal hostel, the Capercaillie Centre is a new house with the horseshoe shape of the traditional Laciana dwelling. Inside, audiovisuals and panels on the habitat of the capercaillie, the bear and other species of the area, and on the architecture of the valley. It was promoted by Villablino town council and is run by the Junta, through the Fundación Patrimonio Natural, as a Casa del Parque. What you will see An audiovisual follows the seasons, life and nature of the valley, whose forests are home to the brown bear and the Cantabrian capercaillie, the two emblem species of the Laciana Biosphere Reserve. The room explains the topography, the geological and palaeontological history and the main habitats, from the high mountain to the valley floor, as well as life in the brañas. There is an audio guide and an accessible audio guide. According to Turismo de Castilla y León, the viewing platform can only be visited by booking and with a guide, in sessions every 45 minutes and for a maximum of 20 people: at 11:30, 12:15, 13:00, 16:30, 17:15 and 18:00. Allow about 45 minutes for the visit. 2026 hours and booking Booking by phone is essential all year, on 987 490 107 or at centrodelurogallo@patrimonionatural.org. November and December: Fridays and Saturdays from 11:00 to 17:00; Sundays from 11:00 to 14:00. On 1 November, from 11:00 to 17:00; on the 2nd, from 11:00 to 14:00. December long weekend: the 6th, from 11:00 to 14:00; the 7th and 8th, from 11:00 to 17:00. On 20 December at 14:00 it closes until February; in January it is closed. From 1 June to 13 September: Tuesday to Sunday, from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00. In spring and autumn, mainly Friday to Sunday, and in May Tuesday to Sunday. Patrimonio Natural warns that the hours are approximate. The listing does not publish an admission price: ask when you book. Getting there It is on Calle Real in Caboalles de Arriba, in the municipality of Villablino, at the end of the Laciana Greenway. You can arrive by car or on foot or by bike along the Greenway from Villablino, 6.2 km with no climbs, and in the village you can also see the group of hórreos (granaries). With children and to combine For children it is a good introduction before heading out into the hills, especially on a rainy day. The capercaillie is a protected and very scarce species: what you learn here helps you understand why you must stay on the paths in the Caboalles birch wood. In winter, a few kilometres away the road climbs to the pass and to the Leitariegos resort, where the snowshoe routes leave from. For information on the rest of the valley, the Villablino tourist office. ## Dónde comer - **La Campanona Restaurant** (Restaurant, Villager de Laciana (Villablino), €€). Qué pedir: ask what is on that day when you book: depending on the service there is a set menu or à la carte. - **La Bolera Restaurant** (Restaurant, Robles de Laciana (Villablino), €€). Qué pedir: the León dishes on the menu; in season, ask about the botillo. ## By car: Driving to Leitariegos You drive up to Leitariegos: the resort is on the LE-497, on the pass, 15 km from Villablino. From León or Oviedo take the A-66 to exit 93 and the CL-623 towards Villablino, and then the CL-631 via Caboalles de Abajo. Carry chains or winter tyres: the last stretch climbs to 1,500 metres. Presupuesto orientativo: 70–120 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **La Campanona Rural Hotel** (Small hotel): La Campanona is a small rural hotel in Villager de Laciana, on the CL-626, a few kilometres from Villablino, within the Valle de Laciana Biosphere Reserve. The family that runs it presents it as their home: six double rooms, a home-cooking restaurant on the upper floor and the Greenway a few metres from the door. It is a quiet base for a ski weekend at Leitariegos or for exploring the valley on foot and by bike. Six wooden doubles The six rooms are doubles: three with a double bed and three with two single beds. They are simple, with the wood and rural character of the house on show, and each one is different. All have a full bathroom with toiletries and hairdryer, television, wifi and a welcome touch. Breakfast is included in the stay. In the lounge there is a fireplace, books and a desk. Bookings from 13:00 to 22:00 Accommodation bookings are taken from 13:00 to 22:00, by phone, on 987 47 07 44, or with the form on its website, to which they reply to confirm. The website does not publish rates, check-in and check-out times or whether dogs are accepted: ask when you book. Dining in The La Campanona restaurant, upstairs, is open to guests and to those who come from outside, Tuesday to Sunday, always by booking. Rafael cooks home-style with Laciana produce; there is a set menu or à la carte depending on the day. There is no kitchen service on Mondays. For skiing The Leitariegos resort is about twenty minutes away going up through Villablino and Caboalles: fifteen pistes and seven lifts between 1,513 and 1,800 metres, with a day pass from €15 in low season. The plan fits a weekend: breakfast at the house, pistes, and dinner here on the way back. Without snow, the valley Outside the ski season, the Laciana Greenway passes in front: 6.2 flat tarmac km on the old mining railway, to Caboalles de Arriba and the Capercaillie Centre. In autumn, the Caboalles birch wood turns golden. The house also suggests the Sosas dairy route, the geological classroom at Robles de Laciana, the hill-fort interpretation centre and mountain-bike routes through the mining heritage. - **La Bolera Rural Hotel** (Small hotel): In Robles de Laciana La Bolera is a rural hotel on the Plaza de la Iglesia in Robles de Laciana, about 10 kilometres east of Villablino, within the Laciana Biosphere Reserve. It has seven double rooms and one quadruple, for 18 people, with telephone and television, and the house has a garden and a terrace with views of the hills. It hires bicycles. The website does not publish prices, check-in and check-out times or pet policy; for that you have to call 987 48 30 60 or write to hotel@hotelrurallabolera.es. Eating Its León-cooking restaurant receives people from all over the province and from Asturias. The menu changes with the seasons, with spoon dishes in winter and more meats, cured meats and garden produce in summer, and among the dishes most ordered are the cachopo, black pudding, cecina, botillo del Bierzo and León cocido. It takes part in the days of the cocido lacianiego, the botillo and the matanza. In summer you eat on the terrace. What to do from here The hotel presents itself as a base for moving between León and Asturias, in the Sierra de Ancares area, with the Somiedo and Muniellos natural parks close by. It suggests fishing, walking, mushrooms, watching brown bears and capercaillies, cycling, skittles and climbs to summits of more than two thousand metres such as Peña Ubiña or El Cornón. In autumn, the house recommends the deer rut in the valley and the Caboalles birch wood. Without a car, the Laciana Greenway runs 6.2 flat, tarmac kilometres between Villablino and Caboalles de Arriba, suitable for bikes, on foot or in a wheelchair, and ends beside the Capercaillie Centre. For skiing Leitariegos is about half an hour away via Villablino and Caboalles. It is a small resort run by the Diputación de León, with 15 pistes; for the 2026-2027 season opening is planned for 1 December and closing for 4 April, if the snow cooperates. The quadruple room suits a family going to the snow. ## As a family: A Small Resort for Learning Without Stress Leitariegos is a resort for families: small, with green and blue pistes, conveyor belts for those starting out and no queues, because there is no capacity problem. And it is cheap: the children's lift pass costs €12 in low season. ### What works best The conveyor belts and green pistes of the lower zone, for the first day The weekend courses of the Escuela Oficial, from 11:30 to 14:30, in groups of 5 to 9 A guided snowshoe route, for anyone who does not ski The Greenway, flat and tarmac, for the day without snow ### Where to stay La Bolera, with a quadruple room La Campanona, small and quiet ### Eating The resort's self-service, so as not to lose the morning La Campanona, on the way down, by booking ### Worth knowing The Villablino hire shop hands over equipment on Friday afternoon and hires snow clothing, including children's snowsuits The helmet is free with full equipment hire at Cuetu d'Arbas The pass road may call for chains ### Qué hacer as a family - Skiing at the Valle Laciana-Leitariegos Resort - Snowshoe Routes at Leitariegos, by Day or Night - Laciana Greenway, from Villablino to Caboalles de Arriba - The Birch Wood and Devesa of Caboalles - Capercaillie Centre in Caboalles de Arriba ## Consejos ### Check the report before setting out The resort publishes the snow report and the webcams on its website. If it is windy, the lifts in the upper area may close. ### Ski on Tuesday In low season, on Tuesdays the lift pass costs €11. ### Collect your equipment on Friday In Villablino, Cuetu d'Arbas delivers the equipment on Friday afternoon: on Saturday you go straight to the pistes. ### Buy the four-resort pass if you will be back €70 for four days at Leitariegos, San Isidro, Pajares and Fuentes de Invierno. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### When does Leitariegos open in the 2026-2027 season? Opening is planned for 1 December 2026 and closing for 4 April 2027, depending on the snow. ### How much does the Leitariegos lift pass cost? €22 for an adult in high season and €15 in low season; €16 and €12 for a child. On low-season Tuesdays, €11. ### What is the four-resort pass? A 4-day lift pass for Leitariegos, San Isidro, Valgrande-Pajares and Fuentes de Invierno, for €70 for an adult and €55 for a child. ### Is it good for beginners? Yes: it has four green pistes, magic carpets and a beginner pass. ### How long does it take from León or Oviedo? A little under two hours from either, about 110 and 120 km. ### Where can you rent equipment? At Cuetu d'Arbas, at the pass or in Villablino, from €12 for a half day.