La Pornacal from Villar de Vildas

The route to La Pornacal starts in Villar de Vildas, where its stone houses and peaceful atmosphere invite you to disconnect. After about 400 metres from the centre of the village, we take a concrete track that runs peacefully along the left side of the river Pigüeña, our faithful travelling companion for a good part of the route.

Approximately in the first kilometre of the route, the landscape begins to reveal one of the most characteristic elements of Somiedo: the brañas. The first of them, Vildéu, welcomes us. The "brañas", authentic population spaces, rich in pasture and water, were the summer home of the "vaqueiros de alzada", transhumant shepherds who, with the arrival of summer, moved to these high lands with their livestock, establishing their lives there during the grazing season. Integrated into the landscape, these "brañas" were for communal use, a testimony to the ancient way of life and social organisation of this unique community.

After a pleasant walk, at kilometre 3.6, we come to the La Pornacal braña. This is, without doubt, the largest and best preserved braña in the whole of Somiedo. Of the 370 cabins ("teitos") registered in the park, La Pornacal has the largest concentration, with some 33 of these unique constructions. Here, the fusion of the human factor with nature reaches its maximum expression: elements such as rock, wood and brooms are masterfully used to build these teito huts. The river Pigüeña divides the hut in two, and in its centre, we can take a break to refresh ourselves in a natural spring, a welcome respite before continuing.

From La Pornacal, the path continues its ascent, and the forest becomes increasingly scarce, limited to a testimonial riverside forest. However, this change in the landscape offers us another marvel: about two kilometres from La Pornacal, we will find a bridge that crosses the river, and from this privileged point, we can admire the imposing Corralón waterfall, which opens majestically on the other side of the valley.

About 400 metres beyond the bridge, we will come to a crossroads. Here, we continue straight on towards another group of teitos, known as the braña de los Cuartos.

Finally, after approximately 6.5 kilometres, we will reach the final point of the ascent at the braña de los Cuartos, also known as Braña Viecha (Old Braña). Even older than La Pornacal itself, the view from here is sublime. The valley through which we have climbed unfolds before us, with La Pornacal looming in the distance, in an almost perfect picture where each element of the landscape seems to have been placed in its place by the hand of nature.

From this high point, we will start our return to Villar de Vildas, taking with us the memory of spectacular landscapes and the traditions of the "vaqueiros de alzada", which are the essence of Somiedo.