The road goes up and up from the Poncebos bridge, we cross small artisan tunnels, prayed in the rock with a bit of dynamite. The Duje River channel accompanies us. In the valley of Tielve, at 700 altitude meters and about 6 kilometers from Poncebos, we discovered the tradition of Cabrales as in few places of the council, the raw material of the cheese, the herds of goats and sheep can be seen among the rocks, the trees or crossing high in the same road, in front of our car. We see the Peña Maín, with heights that exceed 1.500 m., and just opposite the walls of Portudera, above the 1.200 m. The orography of the place is capricious and with a predominance to get up more and more, it only lets us see small valleys as provisional landings of a staircase that continues its unevenness in a serpentine way.
Sotres: Cabrales cheese and more ...
We arrived in Sotres, the highest parish of the council, after 11 kilometers of sinuous road from Poncebos. Someone will tell us that here they live around 200 inhabitants, heirs of a harsh pastoral activity that once crowned the peak with no small effort. Currently climbing Sotres is no longer that kind of challenge, and once up there is not a mythical village of huts and pastures, but a core certainly urbanized, where farmers, adventurers and entrepreneurs live together. There is a high level of hospitality, mountain guides, and a high quality of handmade products, authentic jewels of the tradition, as much in alimentary matter (sausages, meats, cheeses) as in prized objects of the popular craftsmanship that is born between mountains. There is no shortage of cheese makers of Cabrales, since in Sotres they count on a high number of natural caves for the maturation of the cheese, and that in not few cases they have obtained prizes in the official contests of this product.
The peaks of Europe close this human promontory in such a way that within the inhabited nucleus, walking along its paths and neighborhood roads, among the rustic houses, we find another law of gravity, a little more ethereal, less certain. We walk on solid ground, but around us there are a thousand reasons for vertigo. If we follow the road a couple of kilometers further up towards the neighboring town of Tresviso, we come across an authentic shepherd's flock, huts in a pure state from which we envision a wonderful panoramic view, if the weather permits, of the town of Sotres and of the mountains that surround it. We see how there are paths, paths, small scars, which from the outskirts of Sotres continue on their way into the Picos de Europa.
The peaks of Europe
In 1918, the first national park in Spain was declared in the Covadonga Mountain, today the National Park of…
Cabrales cheese
Cabrales cheese is more than just a dairy product, because it has behind it the weight of an entire…
Hiking routes from Sotres
From the Vega de Sotres we can take Pandébano direction to the same skirt of the Naranjo de Bulnes or Picu Urriellu. The road is long, but From the Collado de Pandébano we can see the first spectacular view of the Naranjo. We can recreate ourselves with those 2.518 m so well molded. An isolated tall python, of Paleozoic origin. Although the accesses to the Naranjo and the Vega de Urriello refuge were traditionally made from the Camburero Canal and the Jou Lluengo from Bulnes, or by Horcados Rojos from the Fuente Dé cable car (Cantabria); It will be from the 80s when Sotres and its Pandébano and Vallejo hills, from Majada de la Terenosa, become the best option. With this route in vogue, Sotres completed its wonderful location in the Picos de Europa and increased its prestige as King town of Asturian mountaineering.
Route from Sotres to Áliva
The Cabraliega town of Sotres is at 1050 meters above sea level, one of the human summits of Asturias. …
Great return to the Picos de Europa
A comprehensive tour with accommodation included through the Picos de Europa. Five days to get to know in depth the spectacular landscapes of this national park….
Accommodation in and around Sotres
Despite being a small mountain village, Sotres offers several hotel establishments, also in the immediate vicinity there is a wide and varied offer of rural houses, apartments and hotels to enjoy Cabrales. Discover them in our link ...
Accommodations Picos de Europa
The best rural houses, apartments and hotels in the Picos de Europa. Offers to enjoy in a unique environment. #TourismAsturias…
Information:
The S-cape Travel agency It offers a self-guided hiking package that includes various trekking routes from Sotres. The trip includes:
• 7 nights accommodation with half board
• Luggage transport between the hotels of Sotres and Arenas de Cabrales
• Transfer to the beginning of the routes
• Detailed descriptions of the routes, maps and digital tracks
• 24 telephone assistance hours
More info on Hiking Trips in Sotres
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
