# Cerca de León

León has the Cantabrian mountains an hour away and half its routes cross them: Oviedo, Somiedo and the coast of Asturias and Cantabria. To the west are El Bierzo and Las Médulas; to the south, Zamora and Sanabria, and to the east, Aguilar and Burgos.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/leon/getaways

## Planes de un día
- [Fuentes de Invierno: cheap slopes on the San Isidro pass](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/asturias/pajares-and-fuentes-de-invierno/itineraries/skiing-from-oviedo-or-leon.md) (1 h 20 en coche): A cheap ski day in the Asturian Montaña Central: 15 runs and 8.7 km, a €27 lift pass in high season, free parking and lunch at the foot of the slopes. With San Isidro on the other side of the pass.
- [Oviedo: Naranco, Fontán and cider house](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/asturias/oviedo/itineraries/oviedo-pre-romanesque-and-cider-from-leon.md) (1 h 34 en coche): Santa María del Naranco with a guide in the morning, the Fontán and the old town on foot and a cider-house lunch on Calle Gascona. An hour and a half from León, and it works in the rain.
- [Las Médulas: viewpoint, tunnels and chestnut trees](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/las-medulas/itineraries/las-medulas-orellan-viewpoint-and-valinas-trail.md) (1 h 40 en coche): In the morning, the Orellán viewpoint and its Roman galleries; a Bierzo lunch with views at Orellán and, in the afternoon, the Valiñas trail among chestnut trees.
- [Zamora: Romanesque, Cuzeo and the Duero](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/zamora/itineraries/romanesque-guided-tour-cathedral-and-duero.md) (1 h 42 en coche): The 11:00 "Romanesque Zamora" guided tour with the cathedral inside, the castle, La Culebra game and Fuentesaúco chickpeas at Cuzeo and a walk along the Duero to the Puente de Piedra.
- [Sanabria: castle, square and lake](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/sanabria-lake/itineraries/sanabria-puebla-castle-and-monastery-by-the-lake.md) (1 h 45 en coche): The medieval village of Puebla and its castle in the morning, broad beans and Sanabria veal on the Plaza Mayor and, in the afternoon, the lake from San Martín de Castañeda.
- [Culebra: guided rut and Sanabria](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/sanabria-lake/itineraries/saturday-of-the-rut-and-lunch-in-puebla.md) (1 h 45 en coche): The castle and old town of Puebla de Sanabria in the morning, habones and veal in the Plaza Mayor and, as evening falls, rutting stags with a Culebra guide. An hour and a quarter from Zamora.
- [Leitariegos: skiing and lunch in Laciana](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/leitariegos-and-laciana-valley/itineraries/ski-sunday-at-leitariegos.md) (1 h 47 en coche): A full day's skiing at the small, cheap Laciana resort, with rental at the foot of the slopes, and a late home-cooked lunch at La Campanona before heading back to León or Oviedo.
- [Saliencia and bears at dusk](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/asturias/somiedo/itineraries/lakes-and-bears-from-leon.md) (1 h 50 en coche): The Saliencia lakes route in the morning, Asturian lunch in Pola de Somiedo and, at dusk, an outing with a guide and a telescope to try to see the brown bear.
- [Bison, Cantamuda and roast lamb](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/aguilar-de-campoo/itineraries/bison-and-mountain-romanesque.md) (1 h 51 en coche): European bison with a guide first thing, the bell gable of San Salvador de Cantamuda before lunch, roast lamb in Aguilar and the afternoon in the cloister and the ROM museum of Santa María la Real.
- [Aguilar: Romanesque, rock and roast lamb](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castile-and-leon/aguilar-de-campoo/itineraries/santa-maria-la-real-and-roast-lamb.md) (1 h 51 en coche): The cloister and the ROM models, the square and collegiate church of Aguilar, the rock-cut church of Olleros, Santa María de Mave and lunch at El Convento de Mave, right beside it.

## Oviedo, an hour and a half through the Huerna tunnel

Each exit from León leads to a different landscape. To the north, the AP-66 crosses the mountain range through the Huerna tunnel, a toll road, and in an hour and a half leaves you in [Oviedo](/en/spain/asturias/oviedo). Before the Huerna, exit 93 and the CL-623 lead to Babia, on the way to [Somiedo](/en/spain/asturias/somiedo) over the pass, and to Laciana, where the [Leitariegos](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/leitariegos-and-laciana-valley) resort is. The N-621 climbs via Boñar to the San Isidro pass and [Fuentes de Invierno](/en/spain/asturias/pajares-and-fuentes-de-invierno), in the Asturian Montaña Central. To the west, via Astorga and the A-6, you reach Ponferrada and, via the N-536, [Las Médulas](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/las-medulas). To the south, the A-66 drops towards Benavente and [Zamora](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/zamora), and at Benavente the A-52 leaves for [Sanabria lake](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/sanabria-lake). To the east, the A-231 follows the Camino de Santiago towards [Burgos](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/burgos) and joins the A-67, which climbs to [Aguilar de Campoo](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/aguilar-de-campoo).

Without a car, the way out is Oviedo: there is a train and bus between the two cities, and in Oviedo the centre is seen on foot and an urban bus goes up to the Naranco. For the mountains, a car, and in winter with chains.

## Fifteen pistes on the other side of San Isidro

**An hour and a half or less** are Fuentes de Invierno (80 minutes), fifteen pistes with free parking on the other side of San Isidro, and Oviedo (94), with Santa María del Naranco and the cider houses on Calle Gascona.

**Between an hour and a half and two hours** is almost everything else, in four directions. To the west, Las Médulas (100 minutes), with the Orellán viewpoint and the Valiñas trail. To the south, Zamora (102), with the guided Romanesque tour, and Sanabria (105), with the Puebla castle and the lake. To the north, Leitariegos (107), a small, cheap resort, and Somiedo (110), with the Saliencia lakes and the brown bear. To the east, Aguilar de Campoo (111), with Santa María la Real, the churches of Olleros and Mave and a European bison reserve.

**With two or three hours by car** are the weekends: [Burgos and Atapuerca](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/burgos/itineraries/night-with-atapuerca-from-valladolid) (121 minutes), [Ribadesella and Covadonga](/en/spain/asturias/ribadesella/itineraries/two-nights-ribadesella-and-covadonga-from-oviedo) (136), [the Ribeira Sacra by boat on the Sil](/en/spain/galicia/ribeira-sacra/itineraries/ribeira-sacra-weekend-from-lugo) (140), [Covarrubias and Silos](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/covarrubias-and-silos/itineraries/covarrubias-silos-gregorian-chant-weekend) (150), [Liébana, Fuente Dé and the La Hermida pools](/en/spain/cantabria/liebana-and-potes/itineraries/liebana-fuente-de-weekend-la-hermida-hot-springs) (150), [Llanes and the eastern coast](/en/spain/asturias/llanes/itineraries/llanes-eastern-asturian-coast-weekend) (154), [Santillana and Comillas](/en/spain/cantabria/santillana-del-mar/itineraries/santillana-del-mar-comillas-altamira-weekend) (155), [San Vicente de la Barquera](/en/spain/cantabria/san-vicente-de-la-barquera/itineraries/weekend-san-vicente-de-la-barquera-and-comillas-from-oviedo) and [Peñafiel with two wineries](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/penafiel/itineraries/penafiel-ribera-del-duero-wine-weekend), both at 165.

**Further away**, about three hours twenty, are the [Ourense thermal baths](/en/spain/galicia/ourense/itineraries/thermal-baths-weekend-ourense) and [Segovia with a balloon at dawn](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/segovia/itineraries/segovia-balloon-at-dawn-weekend).

## León has snow close to hand

In winter, León has snow close to hand. [Fuentes de Invierno](/en/spain/asturias/pajares-and-fuentes-de-invierno/itineraries/skiing-from-oviedo-or-leon) opens from December to March, if there is snow; check the report the day before and the state of the San Isidro pass. [Leitariegos](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/leitariegos-and-laciana-valley/itineraries/ski-sunday-at-leitariegos) has a season from 1 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, with a €15 lift pass in low season. For rainy days, Oviedo, and for the cold, the thermal pools of Ourense. The [Aguilar bison](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/aguilar-de-campoo/itineraries/bison-and-mountain-romanesque) can be visited all year; in winter, only weekend and holiday mornings.

In spring, from the end of March, El Convento de Mave opens and you can do the [Romanesque Sunday in Aguilar](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/aguilar-de-campoo/itineraries/santa-maria-la-real-and-roast-lamb), with the churches of Olleros and Mave in the morning. It is also a good season for Las Médulas and for Burgos and Atapuerca.

Summer is for the mountains and the coast. From May to September, with La Farrapona free of snow, [the Saliencia lakes and the bears of Somiedo](/en/spain/asturias/somiedo/itineraries/lakes-and-bears-from-leon) fit into a long day; May, June and September are the best months for seeing bears. For the sea, any of the Asturias and Cantabria weekends.

In autumn, [Las Médulas](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/las-medulas/itineraries/las-medulas-orellan-viewpoint-and-valinas-trail) turn yellow with the chestnut trees, and until 9 December the Orellán galleries open from 10:00 to 18:15. From mid-September to mid-October, the [rut in the Sierra de la Culebra](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/sanabria-lake/itineraries/sanabria-culebra-red-deer-rut-weekend), with the date fixed beforehand with the guide.

## Santa María del Naranco before eleven

- **Without a car, in a day:** [Oviedo, pre-Romanesque and cider](/en/spain/asturias/oviedo/itineraries/oviedo-pre-romanesque-and-cider-from-leon). Santa María del Naranco before eleven, the old town on foot and lunch on Calle Gascona; it works in the rain.
- **To the west:** [Las Médulas, from the Orellán viewpoint to the Valiñas](/en/spain/castile-and-leon/las-medulas/itineraries/las-medulas-orellan-viewpoint-and-valinas-trail). A little over an hour and a half along the A-6, the Roman galleries in the morning and the trail among chestnut trees in the afternoon.
- **With two nights:** [Bears in Somiedo](/en/spain/asturias/somiedo/itineraries/somiedo-bear-watching-two-nights-from-oviedo). Via Babia and the pass, a little under two hours to Pola de Somiedo; the guided outing on Saturday is at 7:30, so book the guide before the hotel.