Today we start a new section in our blog, “THE BEST HIKING ROUTES IN ASTURIAS”.
OK, OK, I know. Talking about the best hiking routes in Asturias is a bit pretentious and subjective. There will be those who adore the Cares route, those who only make eyes at the Senda del Oso, those who think that nothing is worthwhile beyond Picos de Europa, or the Lagos de Covadonga, the Playa del Silencio…
LET’S SEE, TELL ME ABOUT THE BEST HIKING ROUTES IN ASTURIAS…
In this blog I am going to tell you my personal version. After many years hiking in Asturias as a hiker, and a few years as a professional mountain guide, I have a small group of routes that I consider to be “special”.
In some cases, they are interesting hiking routes because they are atypical in Asturias. In my opinion, they are unusual places, and therefore surprising.
In other cases, they are routes of spectacular beauty, either permanently, or at certain times of the year, time of the day… You know that, for example, the Asturian coast in summer has nothing to do with the coast in winter…
ANYTHING ELSE?
As always, I advise you to do the routes with the least possible impact, and with the greatest respect for nature and the living beings that inhabit it. This means not leaving waste, not going off the trails, not disturbing wild species or livestock or sheepdogs, not flying drones in protected areas…
It is always a good idea to find out about the route you are going to take. Not only about the route, but also about its natural, geological, historical and cultural richness… All this, of course, you can do on your own, or you can do it with a nice guide like the one who writes, of course.
TO THE POINT, MY RECOMMENDED HIKING ROUTE IN ASTURIAS TODAY
Let’s get down to business. Today I want to talk about the Puertos de Agüeria
Sorry?
Yes, I know you didn’t expect it. It is not the first hiking route in Asturias that comes to your mind, for sure. I was telling you that this blog is very personal…
And you will say why? Well, in this case, it is an atypical valley in Asturias. More typical of alpine areas or other latitudes. I’ll confess that the first time I went, I was expecting to see Heidi running around the slopes at any moment.
The first thing you see when you arrive is an enclosed valley that crashes against the imposing walls of the Ubiñas Massif. The spectacular nature of the wide, very green meadows, against a series of very vertical walls, is truly breathtaking.
Like all Asturian nature, the human presence in the area is an inseparable part of the environment. Nowadays, the huts and sheepfolds are practically abandoned, but the cattle continue to graze on the slopes, and in fact, thanks to the cattle traffic, we can walk along the paths. You know that those of us who like hiking owe a lot to the livestock and those who herd them. By the way, there are remains of the Civil War in the vicinity…
As for the time of year, it is an area worth visiting at various times of the year. Perhaps the beginning of spring is a special time, when the valley floor abandons its winter snows, but the Ubiñas Massif and Peña Rueda still have their snow-capped peaks. I know it sounds cliché, but it is a picture postcard image. It can also be very interesting in the middle of winter or in times of heavy rain, but in those cases you have to take into account certain safety conditions. And the beginning of summer is recommended for long walks.
The hiking options in the area are varied. There are at least 4 accessible options to reach the area, from Lena, Quirós and Teverga, apart from other more technical variants.
In our case, we have already organised several routes in the area. I’ll tell you about a couple of them:
This one we did with the excuse of visiting a temporary lagoon, almost full…
https://asturianways.com/en/hiking/asturian-lakes/
You know that if you want to come, you can sign up to our organized routes, or contact us, and we’ll find a day to do it…
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