The Cares Route

The trail starts next to the Bulnes Funicular car park, in Poncebos. After crossing a small bridge, the route gains height between limestone outcrops for the first two kilometres. From there, the perspective widens: the Cares meanders at the bottom of the abyss, flanked by towering limestone walls. The path, dug directly into the rock in many sections, is barely a metre and a half wide and runs without any great unevenness, but is always exposed, which demands attention and respect for the environment.

A titanic work that gave rise to the path
What is now an iconic hiking route, trodden by thousands of people every year, was originally a feat of hydraulic engineering. In 1916, construction began on a canal of almost 9.5 km between Cain and Camarmeña, with the aim of transporting water to the Poncebos hydroelectric power station. The work took six years to complete and posed a formidable human and technical challenge: more than 5,500 metres of tunnels, dozens of workers sleeping in caves and huts, transport by barge across the canal or by horse and endless days with hand tools and gunpowder fuses.

One of the most memorable episodes was that of 400 workers isolated by snow in Cain, who crossed the mountain by night and on foot in search of supplies, overcoming avalanches and vertical slopes until they reached Los Collaos, near Poncebos. Their effort is an example of the heroic dimension of this undertaking.

Completed in 1921, the canal transformed the economy and way of life of the area. But it also altered its ecology: with its opening, the largest walnut forest in Europe, which descended from the Canal de Trea to the waters of the Cares, was cut down. The trees were cut down and dragged by the river itself to the villages.

The birth of the current path
The canal needed constant maintenance, which led to the construction of the path we know today as the Cares Route in 1945. Barely 1.5 metres wide, dug into the edge of the cliff, this service path replaced the most dangerous and narrow passages with a safe, although breathtaking, route. Since then, it has established itself as one of the great mountain roads of the peninsula.

Today, the route includes tunnels with open windows to the abysses, footbridges and bridges such as Bolín or Los Rebecos, and allows you to reach Caín de Valdeón, a small enclave in León surrounded by peaks. The return journey can be made along the same route or, in one direction only, by hiring specialised 4x4 transport services, which offer interpretative routes through the massif.

Responsible access: public transport during high season
During Easter, weekends in May and summer (1 June to 13 October), the Principality of Asturias activates a special public transport plan to facilitate access to the Cares Route, Bulnes, Tielve, Sotres and Pandébano, with departures from Arenas de Cabrales.

Buses run from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm between Arenas and Poncebos, the starting point of the route.

Tickets should be purchased at www.alsa.es, although they can also be bought on the bus if there are places available.

Parking is limited in Poncebos and Pandébano, so it is advisable to use the areas provided in Arenas.

This system favours a sustainable and safe visit to one of the most frequented areas of the Picos de Europa National Park, and helps to conserve its natural, historical and scenic value.