The Pillars of Carreño

Los Pilares de Carreño was set up with the aim of offering a diverse, inclusive and accessible programme, designed to facilitate access to active leisure and tourism for all types of users, including people with reduced mobility or disabilities.

The starting point is the Guimarán-Valle Rural Interpretation Centre (CIR), a strategic location which allows visitors to explore, along a circular route of just 15 kilometres of low difficulty, more than 24 points of tourist interest in the municipality of Carreño.

In this area, visitors can explore an educational exhibition dedicated to the Neolithic period at Monte Areo, admire more than 30 ‘hórreos’ and ‘paneras’ in the Carreño style, as well as four historically significant churches, various fountains and traditional washing places, a 13th-century watchtower, and follow cultural routes such as the ‘Camín de les Muyeres de la Paxa’ or the ‘Ruta Clariniana’, linked to the novelist Leopoldo Alas ‘Clarín’. Furthermore, the route takes in rural palaces, old lime kilns, an airfield with a commemorative plaque marking an air battle in 1936, and several panoramic viewpoints.

The routes combine natural and cultural heritage with outdoor leisure, and can be tailored as family, cultural, literary or gastronomic walks. A picnic featuring Asturian produce is provided on all routes, and the activities are designed to be accessible to people with disabilities.

The available fleet consists of 22 electric bicycles, all fitted with disc brakes and suspension, and includes a variety of vehicle types:

• Tandems adapted for people with severe disabilities, fitted with reverse gear, special footrests and safety harnesses.
• Bicycles with trailers, suitable for carrying children, elderly people or pets.
• Tricycles and reverse tricycles, which offer greater stability for those who have difficulty balancing or do not feel confident on conventional bicycles.
• Standard electric bikes.
• Parallel double-seater bicycles, designed for people with very limited mobility, featuring harnesses, a seatbelt, a footrest platform and three levels of pedal assistance.
• Lopifit PASBIC, an electric bike that allows you to move forward whilst walking, combining the benefits of walking with those of cycling.

Among the themed itineraries, the ‘Clarín’ routes stand out, allowing visitors to explore places linked to the life and work of the writer Leopoldo Alas ‘Clarín’, such as the house where he spent his summers, accompanied by literary quotations and a picnic comprising sandwiches, pastries and drinks.

The project’s overall aim is to blend sport, nature, culture, fun and gastronomy, with the objective of offering an inclusive and accessible experience for all audiences, whilst also contributing to the development of rural tourism and the promotion of adapted sport.

The organisers of the service have over three decades’ experience of living in the area, just a few metres from the starting point, which has enabled them to design routes perfectly suited to the characteristics of the environment and the target audience. This expertise is reflected in the choice of various types of electric vehicles, specially designed to ensure a truly inclusive service, catering for all types of users.