Ordiales Viewpoint Route
- Cangas de Onís Eastern Asturias
- Distance: 11,2 kms
- Difficulty: Half
- Code: PR223
- Altitude: 1.770 m.
- Unevenness: 641 m.
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On foot:
5 h. 40 min.
Round trip
- Start point: Pandecarmen
- Tour type: Round trip
- Layout of the route: Download kml, Download gpx
Info
Roberto Frassinelli, "El Alemán de Corao", and, very specially, Don Pedro Pidal, Marquis of Villaviciosa, are the two great characters that gave relevance to this area of the Picos de Europa. On the route we find the Pozo del Alemán and culminate in the best views, over the tomb of the remains of the Marquis.
On the centenary of the creation of the National Park, the first in our country, this route pays tribute to the man who made it possible, Don Pedro Pidal. Between Lake Enol and the viewpoint we will find a mosaic of pastures, mountain meadows and rock where we will gain height and with it views of half of Asturias and the sea.
There are three constructions to be found: shepherds' huts, corrals to enclose the livestock for vaccination, shearing or milking, and tendayos to shelter the livestock from storms or carnivores.
And when you reach the viewpoint, paradise, with incredible views of the valley of Angón, Amieva, Ponga and half of Asturias. The most experienced mountaineers can, in about 45 minutes, reach the summit of Cotalba and enjoy it even more.
Route
Pandecarmen - Ordiales Meadow 11
Access is via the AS-114 towards Cangues d' Onís/Cangas de Onís, and then join the AS-262 towards Sotu Cangues until you reach the Covadonga Lakes. Finally, from Lake Enol follow the sign "Refugio de Pastores" and continue to Pandecarmen, where the route begins.
You can also start the route in Buferrera. If you start here it is about 22.4 km and it would take 6 h. 30 min. (round trip) to do it. It is a round trip of medium difficulty with beautiful views of the Central Mountains of Asturias, as well as Redes.
Once we reach the lakes, after going up the access road from Cuadonga/Covadonga, we come to a fork in the road. The path on the left borders Lake Enol and takes us to Lake Ercina; we will take the path on the right to begin our route.
A little more than half a kilometre further on, there is a small path on the right that takes us to the Enol lake refuge, but we continue along the path on the left, which will lead us to Pandecarmen, where we will find a car park where we can leave our car if we wish to start the route from this point.
Approximately 350 metres further on, we come to the famous Pozo del Alemán, known by this name because Roberto Frassinelli, a native of Germany who fell in love with the Picos de Europa and settled in the nearby village of Corao in 1811, used to bathe in it. It is a small well, three or four metres in diameter and one metre deep, and at the end of summer it is still full of fresh, crystal clear water.
One kilometre later we find ourselves in the Vega la Piedra sheepfold, one of the most beautiful and characteristic of the Picos de Europa, situated at an altitude of 1,120 metres.
At kilometre 7 of our route, after passing between the different sheepfolds, we come to the Vegarredonda hut, situated at an altitude of 1,470 metres, and some 3 kilometres further on we come to the famous Ordiales hut, very close to the end of our route.
A few metres further on we come to the Ordiales viewpoint, the end of the route. It is a natural terrace hanging in the void at an altitude of 1,750 metres with impressive views. It is famous for being the burial place of the remains of Pedro Pidal y Bernaldo de Quirós, Marquis of Villaviciosa de Asturias, who, as well as being a climber, was the driving force behind the current Picos de Europa National Park.