Ruta de cicloturismo. Vuelta a Oscos

This route is located in western Asturias, in the Oscos-Eo region, and combines landscapes of pasture and forest with a marked cultural and ethnographic entity where water, wood and slate outline the traditional activity.

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Address Santalla, Samartín, Vilanova

Distance Distance: 41 kms
Difficulty Difficulty: Hard
Total ascent Total ascent: 1205 m
Maximum altitude Maximum altitude: 999 m
Minimum altitude Minimum altitude: 470 m
IBP index IBP index: 100

Route Mountain
Route type Route type: Gravel
Type of route Type of route: Circular
Return by Train Return by Train: No

Starting point Starting point: Santalla
Ending point Ending point: Santalla
Estimated duration Estimated duration: Un día

The route visits the three most important towns, council capitals, of the so-called "Three Oscos", Santalla (Santa Eulalia de Oscos), Samartín (San Martín de Oscos) and Vilanova (Villanueva de Oscos), and proposes an alternative route that offers the opportunity to visit some lesser-known villages and valleys of great beauty and tranquillity.

The route starts in Santalla following the local AS-362 road in the direction of Samartín, a stretch in good condition that passes through some villages such as Martul, a magnificent example of traditional architecture, and the beautiful enclave of the hermitage of San Juan Degollado and Tejo de Martul, a church field that is well worth a visit. From here the route runs placidly to Samartín, where you can visit the surroundings of the parish church built in the style of the area with masonry and slate.

At Samartín we take a detour to change valley and, along a local road, almost an asphalted track, visit some small hamlets such as Deilán, Vilamañe and Louxedo. Continuing along the track, you reach a crossroads that offers two options, either continue straight on along the asphalt until you reach the AS-11 regional road to descend to Vilanova, or take the unpaved track on the right. This track is made of compacted gravel in good condition and provides optional access to the Pena Tascón Mine, and descends to the hamlet of A Ovellariza, also ending in Vilanova.

At Vilanova, the route continues along the AS-11, leaving it quickly at a junction on the left that leads over the hill past Folgueirarrubia and Bustapena, and later rejoins the AS-11 again, reaching the Alto de La Garganta. At this point, once again, we leave the main road to take a local road on the right as soon as we start the descent. The asphalt on this road is in rather poor condition, and it is also very bumpy. But the surroundings are beautiful and the views are magnificent, both towards the sea and towards Los Oscos. The section improves as the route approaches the pass of El Couso, and from there it continues along asphalted tracks in good condition until it reaches Millarado, where it crosses the AS-11 local road and continues along another asphalted track which, after crossing the Carballeira de Millarado, reaches Santalla.