Sunflower Books: Landscapes of the PICOS DE EUROPA: WALKS AND CAR TOURS

Picos de Europa, 5th ed (2010); updated 21/09/2011

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Updates for walks and car tours (drives) in the Picos de Europa given below supplement those provided in the guidebook. It is vital that this Update is read in conjunction with the text of the book, but note that the Update applies only to the edition stated and not to any earlier editions. (If you have an older edition of this book and want to "upgrade" to the latest edition at half price, click here.)

Information has been forwarded to us by users of the book, and Sunflower Books offers the data in good faith but cannot be held responsible for any misleading or inaccurate content in the Update. Unless indicated otherwise, what appears here has not been verified by the author or publisher, so please allow due caution when new or amended routes are suggested. Each piece of information is dated; bear in mind that some of the older observations may have since been overtaken by events or further changes. If, during your holiday, you are using the current edition of the guide and are able to provide any additional updating to add to this page, we will be pleased to hear from you. Please send information, preferably in hard copy, by post, to Sunflower Books, PO Box 115, Exeter EX2 6YU (or if you prefer, by e-mail, to mail@sunflowerbooks.co.uk).

General: We recently visited the Picos de Europa for the first time and found your book to be an invaluable guide to walking in this beautiful area. As with your guides in other areas, it proved to be an essential help in finding the best walks available with relatively moderate ascents in the region and in integrating them with the local transport possibilities. None of the other guides we looked at were remotely comparable in this respect and most were written in Spanish which is difficult for people not fluent in that language. The maps included in the book are exceptionally accurate and we would like to congratulate Teresa Farino on a well written and interesting production. Note that we have used your guides in several other countries (Canaries, Madeira and Azores) and have in each case found them to similarly invaluable in making the type of holiday we enjoy possible. (User, 7/08)

I found your guide invaluable for both day to day walks and also preparatory reading to gain a better understanding of the area, and certainly I have not found any comparable guide. I also bought the guide published in 2006 by the Parque Nacional (in Spanish only), which comes with two 1 :25,000 maps. I chose this because of the map coverage. I found these maps accurate and very useful for the walks I did, providing additional information on paths near to and around those included in the Sunflower guide. They enabled me to vary and extend the Sunflower walks. However the paper quality is poor. The Parque Nacional guide describes 32 walks of .varying length, but in the event I did not take it with me largely because the walks in it - although fully described - are difficult to locate within the area unless the reader has knowledge of the locations of the small villages and hamlets used as start points. The guide lacks an index map. I chose Potes as my base because it is accessible by public transport and is near to several of the Sunflower walks. In Potes tourist office I bought a small guide (in Spanish, O,2 euros) which describes four local walk up to 8.8km in length all based on Potes. It includes an ascent to the cross on Monte Viorna (1095m) which overlooks the town. (User, 7/09)

Transport: The most recent timetables for buses operating between Santander, Potes and Fuente Dé are published on www.transportedecantabria.es, but you cannot consult details for dates outside the current winter/summer season. Taxis are available in Potes, Panes, Cangas de Onís and Arenas de Cabrales; there is also a taxi in La Hermida (Bar Paquín, Tel. 942-73-35-20) (the author, 4/10).

Unfortunately what limited public transport is available has become even more restricted. In particular the Palomera buses from Potes to Fuente Dé (walks 5 and 6) now only operate from July 1st to August 31st, at other times of year not going beyond Espinama. The Alsa bus from Potes to Leon (walk 5) now only operates on Fridays and Sundays and the Alsa bus from Arenas to Puente Poncebos (walks 7 and 8) only operates in August. For anyone travelling from Potes to Arenas or vice versa by bus, note that the buses for the two services do not use the same stops - Palomera use the bar Comportu in the centre of Panes, while Alsa only stop on the other side of the river, outside a bar on the right turning immediately across the bridge (neither stop is marked). The Palomera service does not make up time at Panes and will not stop if it is early unless there is someone to embark or disembark. There is a good connection between Potes and Arenas in summer but the return journey involves over two hours' wait. (User, 7/08).
Tickets for Palomera buses are no longer sold in advance at Santander bus station but bought from the driver. Tickets for Alsa and other companies can be bought in advance at the bus station... There were taxis available in Potes in Calle Doctor Encinas, opposite the bridge to the instituto, most of each day. Both drivers I had used cards showing standard fares to a large number of local destinations. (User, 07/09)

Taxi numbers:
Potes: +34-659662771 (José speaks English)
Panes: +34-659056489 (or 985414023)
Arenas: +34-636360273, +34-985346487, +34-625201900, +34-616961202

Maps: The yellow-covered maps mentioned in the introduction are good but as stated do not cover a large enough area. There are new ones produced by the national park to the same scale with much improved coverage - both sides of the paper are used. However the accuracy of path definition is poor and so is the paper quality. Unfortunately their price is high as a book is included. (User, 7/08)

Walk 6: The cost of the cable car at Fuente Dé in spring 2010 is 9 euros one way, 15 euros return for adults, and 3 euros one way, 5 euros return for children between 6 and 12 years; children aged 5 and under go free. Animals are not allowed, and bicycles are only permitted on the first two journeys of the day, or when there are no other passengers. Price increases are usually applied in July. (the author, 4/10).

Walk 8: The cost of the Poncebos­Bulnes funicular railway in 2010 is 15,70 euros one way, 19,70 euros return for adults, and 3,90 euros one way, 5,90 euros return for children. Over Easter and in July, August and September it runs every half an hour from 10.00 to 20.00; for the remainder of the year there is no service between 12.30 and 14.00, or after 18.00. (the author, 4/10). I

Walk 9: The locals prefer to do the walk in the opposite direction by starting at the car park but taking the road up to Caseton de Andarra with starts from the corner of the car park ( Sotres side); 2h up to the refugio. (User, 10/07)

Walks 10 & 11. In 2011, from 21 Apr (Holy Week) and at other peak visitor periods until 8 Sep, the road to the lakes is closed to private cars between 8.30 and 20.00 but there is an excellent bus service every 15 minutes from Cangas. A return ticket is euros 7.50. The same fare applies from the car parks along the road; boarding at Covadonga is discouraged as parking there is almost impossible. At the end of August, there was an astonishing number of day-trippers making this journey. (User, 9/11)

New walk: Although we realise that there is only space in the book for a limited number of walks, the omission of the popular and easy walk from Brez to the Canal de Arredondas is surprising. We only found out about this walk by chance. The Fuente Dé bus gives public transport access although it is even easier if a moderately priced taxi from Potes to Brez is used for the outward journey, and afterwards you walk downhill on the track from Brez through Lon to pick up the bus near Baró. The walk itself is well-signed and circular (two hours) and is very interesting and varied with impressive views into the mountains - even more impressive in overcast weather. A diversion can be made some way along the path into the 'canal' itself. (User, 7/08) + I did this walk. It is well signed as PR-27) and gives magnificent views of the nearby peaks and distant mountains. Although short , this is delightful. Having completed it I repeated 'the loop as far as a sign indicating the path to Lon, which I followed. This soon passes through a forest area where forks in the path are not signed, but the correct route is generally the lower, right-hand path. After a few hundred metres this led to a broader gravel path going downhill beside the river to Lon, where I enjoyed tea at the hotel and picked up an information leaflet describing walks from the hotel, including a route onwards (fairly well waymarked yellow and white) through San Pelayo, Beares and Santo Toribio which I foIlowed back to Potes. (User, 7/09)