Hiking trails in Onís

Romantic mountain pastures in barren landscapes In contrast to the tour to the Covadonga lakes ("Lagos de Covadonga" tour), the hike to the Majadas Las Bobias and Belbín shows the more barren side of the western massif. Instead of dense beech forests, treeless stretches of land await here, where the mountain pastures lie like islands in the green mountain meadows.

Scenic route hike through the western massif Once, the high-altitude pasture of Vega de Ario, located above the Cares Gorge, was one of the largest in the western massif. Today, only a few ruins remain. What remains is the privileged location in the heart of the Picos and the breathtaking view across the Cares Gorge to the central massif. The refuge's nickname is a tribute to Pedro Pidal, Marqués de Villaviciosa, without whose love of nature the national park might not exist.

Route to the Covadonga lakes from the road from Demués to Gamoneu de Onis, ascending through Entrepeñas via old livestock trails under the Sierra Escarandi.

Through charming cultural landscapes to the former capital of Asturias The GR 109 runs in 27 stages from Panes on the Cantabrian border, crossing the Cantabrian mountain range in Asturias all the way to Santolaya de Oscos on the Galician border. Here we present, as an example, stages 3 and 4 between the municipal capitals of Carreña (municipality of Cabrales) and Cangas de Onís (municipality of Onís). Cabrales is known far beyond the borders of Asturias for its blue cheese of the same name, aged in caves. Cangas de Onís attracts tourists with its Romanesque bridge (“Puente Romano,” the endpoint of the second day), from which the Asturian cross hangs proudly as the region’s emblem. From 722 to 774, Cangas de Onís was the capital of the Asturian Kingdom; a monument commemorates Pelayo, the first Asturian king.

Short linear route from Demués to Gamoneu de Onis, through the valley along the Tabardín river.

Linear route through the gorge of the Casaño or Casañu river, a tributary of the Cares. It is a route along the bank of a river with crystal-clear waters and whimsical shapes, passing through narrows, mountain pastures, gorges, and chestnut trees, crossing it over unique bridges. There we will see ancient caves where livestock was kept and ancestral circular stone corrals.

On foot across the Picos de Europa “The Path of Reconquest” is the name of this long-distance hiking route through the Picos de Europa, which is just under 70 km long. It is part of one of the many legends—told in various versions but always with the same outcome—surrounding Pelayo, the first Asturian-Spanish king, his brave and successful battle against the Muslim invaders (Arabs and Berbers), and the beginning of the Reconquista, the reconquest. After the battle in the forests of Monte Auseva near Covadonga in 722, Pelayo’s troops are said to have pursued the Muslim attackers across the Picos and finally defeated the army—weakened by the arduous march and the cold—at Cosgaya. Other legends recount that Mount Subiedes collapsed there, sweeping 63,000 Muslim soldiers into the Río Deva. Today, the route offers one of the most beautiful ways to experience the fascinating facets of the Picos de Europa.

​> After setting out from the parking lot at Lago Ercina 1, we pass the beautiful but rarely deserted Lago Ercina on the hiking trail, keeping it on our left. Our trail, the PR-PNPE-04 Vega de Ario, leads us up into a side valley on the left. Across expansive karst terrain covered with grass and bushes, we first head straight ahead toward the southeast over a saddle 2. Along the large pastures of Las Bobias, we lose just under 100 meters in elevation before beginning the long, continuous ascent toward Refugio Vega de Ario. A sign 3, as well as numerous wooden posts and stones painted with yellow-and-white markings, guide us through the terrain, which can be confusing in places. The trail, which is mostly dirt and easy to walk on, is occasionally interspersed with stones as the elevation increases. The vastness and austere beauty of the karst landscape also broaden the minds of many hikers. Finally, a somewhat steeper slope leads us to a high plateau with a spectacular view, where we’ll find a stone panoramic sign 4. We keep slightly to the left and follow the trail toward the small hut. Where the rocky plateau gives way to large pastures, we leave the trail and head straight toward the large cluster of dilapidated stone huts. Directly above these huts, we can make out our first peak, the Cabeza del Covu. We climb it off-trail but without difficulty across a prominent grassy ledge that leads to its summit ridge. We then follow the ridge, keeping slightly to the left and below it, to the summit of Cabeza del Covu 5. Here we can linger and enjoy the fantastic view. If we want to look even deeper into the Cares Gorge—and more specifically at the Urrielles Central Massif—we continue on to Cabeza la Verde. To do this, we descend along faint trail marks into the small saddle between the peaks. Then, keeping slightly to the left of the ridge, we head for the next small saddle, which we cross to reach Cabeza la Verde 6 in just a few minutes. The fantastic view from there is similar to that of Tour 28 (Majada de Ostón), though here we aren’t quite as close to the gorge; instead, we can see far in almost every direction.If you’d like to stop for a break on the way back, head to the Refugio Vega de Ario 7 hut and from there follow the same route back to the starting point. Otherwise, you can skip the detour to the hut.

Is Vega Comeyu the most beautiful meadow in the Picos de Europa? Well, the competition is fierce, but it’s definitely one of the largest and most impressive. With its rocky surroundings, it resembles a soccer stadium—except that it could hold about a dozen soccer fields. > From the La Buferrera 1 parking lot, we follow the signpost up to the Mirador de Principe. After 50 meters, the trail branches off to the left, leading down toward El Escaleru. We follow the trail and pass through an exciting tunnel passage 2 with a great view over the Vega Comeyu. Once we reach the valley basin, we can take a detour to the left directly onto the pasture. Our loop trail leads to the right into the valley, where we follow the path toward Jorcaín de Cantón. Hiking along the narrowing valley, we finally ascend across sweeping, gentle slopes to this mountain pass 3. Here we come upon an unpaved road, which we follow to the right toward Belbín 4. Passing through another small valley, we reach this beautifully situated little village with its numerous stone cottages. The vast, barren landscape with its rocks, hills, and meadows has a charm all its own and offers us some special sights.Beyond the village, the trail itself doesn’t offer much variety at first: it now continues as a wide road, veering to the right around the expansive ridge and heading back toward the Lagos. The path initially climbs a short distance into a wide high valley; at the valley’s exit, we see Lago Ercina to our left. Here, we cross the pastures, keeping straight ahead, to reach the former Minas de Buferrera 5 mine on the opposite side. We pass through a bizarre landscape dotted with rocky outcrops and mining artifacts, eventually reaching the Pedro Pidal Visitor Center. Passing directly to the left of it, we’re back at the La Buferrera 1 parking lot in just a few minutes.

Ercina Lake