This is one of the six major protected parks in Asturias, in the southwestern part of the province, bordering León. It is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, famous for its Cantabrian brown bears, wolves, forests, and glacial cirque lakes set in this spectacular high mountain landscape where sheer limestone peaks drop sharply into rich, green valleys. The ancient pastoral tradition of taking livestock up to the fresh grass of high pastures during the summer months is symbolized by the ´teito´ (emblematic thatched huts), clustered together into ´brañas´ where the shepherds lived. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and unspoilt mountain areas in Spain.
You will be collected from the airport / train station and taken to your hotel (to be confirmed) near to Lamuño, Cudillero, which is where the stables are.
Welcome dinner..
Today we ride through the Bucibrón Forest, one of the richest mixed woodlands in Asturias. It provides one of the best habitats for the Cantabrian brown bear and access is limited.
Picnic lunch in a village called La Rebollada.
Dinner and bed Hotel la Corte**, Villar de Vildas
Today is a day of high altitude plateaux and brañas (la Pornacal; la Peral) with far-reaching views.
We will have lunch in the cosy restaurant in la Peral where the food is excellent and the setting wonderful.
We cross over into León y Castilla in the afternoon where we will spend the night in Hotel el Coronel** in Puerto de Somiedo after returning to la Peral (in the van!) for supper.
During the morning we will be riding through the famous Babia, a very gorgeous area of León. We ride through the Fuentes del Sil, the source of the river Sil, across some of the loveliest pastoral landscapes in Babia, surrounded by peaks over 2,000m high. As we cross back into Asturias we look down at the impressive Valle del Lago (valley of the lake).
Lunch is a bocadillo (vast sandwich!)
Dinner in the excellent restaurant Cobrana
We will stay in Hotel Valle del Lago***
Another day of the ancient glacial valleys, the famous lakes of Saliencia and its community.
Picnic lunch
Transfer back to Soto del Barco on the coast at the end of the ride to stay and dine in Hotel Spa Palacio de la Magdalena****
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for farewell.
Please note that it is difficult to assess the length of time each day´s ride will take with any real accuracy. Roughly speaking, calculate 4kms an hour. However, we will stop for rests and meals along the way. And the unexpected can, and does, occur!