Laciana Greenway, from Villablino to Caboalles de Arriba

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.