El Gumial Forest

The route continues to gain height until it reaches Collado Beldosu, where the path turns slightly to the left and begins to skirt Monte'l Tuzu, a hundred-year-old beech forest that covers the slopes with its lush vegetation. The path then crosses a stretch of rocky and stony ground, before reaching the sheepfold of Fuentes de Baxo and the secluded mountain hut of El Gumial, one of the most pastoral enclaves on the route, where the huts, the pastures and the constant murmur of the water create a serene and authentic scene.

From here, the path enters fully into the forest of El Gumial, a beech forest of great beauty and magical atmosphere, where the constant humidity and the twisted trunks of the beech trees create an environment conducive to imagining the presence of mythological beings from the Asturian imagination. Along the descent, several springs such as Fuente García and Fuente Cotelbu bring freshness and life to the route.

The path continues descending steadily, leaving behind the group of huts of La Yana, until it reaches the bottom of the valley again, where it crosses the Braña river. The last stretch runs along a wider and more comfortable track, parallel to the river, which takes us to Cuevas, the end of the route.

The return journey can be made along the same path or, if you have two vehicles, you can leave one in Cuevas, as the distance between both ends of the route is about ten minutes by car.

The El Gumial Forest Route is an experience to be enjoyed without haste, a walk that invites you to immerse yourself in the contrasts of the Allerano landscape: the vastness of the high altitude pastures, the stillness of the beech forest and the serene force of the water, all of this wrapped up in an environment where nature and rural culture are still deeply intertwined.