Mountain routes for everyone in Asturias

Asturias is a great natural paradise, and the best way to enjoy the landscapes of this paradise is on foot. This is the only way to reach unique enclaves within the national parks, to walk through ancient forests where the bear still lives, or to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the city with a gentle stroll to the beach. In Asturias there are hundreds of hiking routes for all levels, so to give you a small reference, here are some of the most beautiful and accessible for everyone.

This old mining railway track between the municipalities of Proaza, Teverga, Quirós and Santo Adriano has been converted into a green trail that can be covered on foot or by bicycle. The path starts in the recreational area of Tuñón, where the enclosure with the famous bears Paca and Tola and the Furaco bear can be found, and leads us both to Cueva Huerta, at the entrance to Las Ubiñas - La Mesa Natural Park, and to the village of Ricao, as the route forks in two halfway along the route.

Each branch of the route is approximately 30 kilometres in total, which is why it is advisable to do it by bike if you want to complete it in a single day. There is a bus in the area around the Senda del Oso, which is a good option for the return trip to our starting point.

Due to the large number of people on the route, it is easy to find places to rent bicycles, as this trail is a great option to do all year round and enjoy the variety of landscapes between gorges.

Also in Trubia, next to the path of the bear, is one of the routes with the most character in Asturias. This is the Route of the Xanas, named after the stream of the same name, as well as one of the most beloved beings in Asturian mythology. The xanas are women of great beauty who can be found by the riverside combing their long blonde hair. Depending on the appearance of the xana, it will have one type of enchantment or another, and there are different ways of disenchanting them.

As for the route, it corresponds to the old project to connect the villages of Pedroveya, Rebollá and Dosango by means of a path. In a distance of just under 4 kilometres, and with a gradient of 500 metres, we will cross this beautiful gorge which has been declared a Natural Monument. The ecosystem is of great ecological value, and if we are lucky, we may see some of the golden eagles or Egyptian vultures that live in the area. Or who knows, we may even see a xana.

A simple route for all the family, where you can discover the coast of Gijón accompanied by the gentle murmur of the Ñora River and the peaceful twittering of birds. It is advisable to start the route from the beach itself, as this part is the most beautiful, and so we can turn around before starting the final slope to reach the La Llorea golf course.

It is a short and flat route, which can easily be done in an hour and a half each way, so it is recommended to do during an afternoon or even if we are on the beach but do not want to sunbathe much more. This walk through the trees is sure to be relaxing and comforting.

This beautiful circular route starts at the Fuensanta water bottling plant, in the municipality of Nava, and can be done in about 4 or 5 hours. Along the way we will cross various types of landscape, visiting the mid-mountain countryside so typical in Asturias, the banks of the Pendón river, the ravine that runs alongside the river, we will look out over the top of a mountain, and we will even get to walk alongside cows grazing in the wild.

The route, being circular, can be started in either direction, but I think you will enjoy it more if you start on the right-hand branch, as the climb is more bearable and you will find the steepest slope of the route on the way down.

As it runs alongside a steep ravine, it is not a route recommended for very young children, and even less so with pushchairs.

The Cares is possibly the best known route in Asturias. It runs through the heart of the Picos de Europa National Park, and it is a real experience to walk through the tunnels and gorges that make up this marvellous route. Starting near Poncebos, the 12-kilometre route takes us to Caín, in the province of León.

The Cares route is an easy route, because although it has some steep slopes at the beginning of the path, afterwards it is quite flat and with a good surface. Perhaps the biggest drawback is its long distance, which means that you need to be in good physical shape to do the round trip in the same day, but you can always spend the night in one of the villages at either end of the route.

This route can be enjoyed all year round, although in winter snow may prevent us from completing it in its entirety. In summer it is important to bring plenty of water, as it is quite hot in the gorge.

This is possibly the most exclusive route in the whole of Spain, as only 20 people a day can walk it. The Munieḷḷos forest is one of the greatest natural jewels of Asturias, not in vain is it a Biosphere Reserve and is located in the Natural Park of Fuentes del Narcea, Degaña and Ibias. Muniellos is the largest oak forest in the country, and one of the best preserved in Europe, so a visit is highly recommended. It is also the habitat of the brown bear and the Iberian wolf (although it is almost impossible to see them while we are walking the route, as the animals know how to hide).

The route that runs through Munieḷḷos is 17.2 kilometres long, and allows us to get to know both the banks of the Munieḷḷos River and the upper part of the valley, visiting lakes in the middle of the mountains. If you want to enjoy nature to the full, then Munieḷḷos will enchant you.

And besides these, you have many other mountain routes to enjoy nature in Asturias!