First, we enter the Carúa neighborhood, following the course of the Little River against the current. We advance with hardly any unevenness parallel to its left bank, in the direction of travel and leaving the asphalt behind. Immediately we come across the GR 109 Asturias Interior trail, coming from Mones. Avoiding this detour, we progress in the middle of a vegetal tangle, authentic riverside forest with a good catalog of floristic elements. Later we have to cross the clean waters of the river by two successive reconstructed wooden bridges, until we are in the recreational area, which is equipped with its classic equipment. On the road again, we cross to the opposite side by a stone bridge. Later, We leave the Torín road on our right and go over the next stretch to plant on the access road to the Chorrón waterfall, where the river waters plummet into a walled circus with more than 15 m vertical drop, in the middle of a natural environment covered with oak, birch, chestnut and other tree species (230 m.) (3,3 km., In 1 h.). Back on the original path, a little before reaching the Villamayor water catchment hut, we walk to the right along the signposted route, passing a metal gate. Behind us we have the forest, and following the trace of the cobbled path we will overcome a ski lift with staggered sections until we reach a crossroads. On the right, the carved path would lead us to Torín, a destination that we now avoid to continue our course at noon along the original route, which already offers us good views of the Sueve and the bombastic ravine of the Little River, which lies below us. Later on, we return to enter a wooded area where the path goes over some turnstiles, after which the first ruins of La Cueva (402 m.) Already appear (4,5 km., In 1 hr. And 50 min.).
La Cueva is a village belonging to the parish of Villamayor (Piloña), which has been uninhabited for about 50 years and had 16 neighbors. Its enclave is located under the southern slope of Cerro el Tombu peak, in the valley that irrigates the Little River. Its environment constitutes a magical natural and wild corner, where the ancestral paths that gave access to the villages are drawn, coming from Torín, Valle, Carúa and Pesquerín, respectively. The local children went to school in the latter town. So much the river and the village are some of the many attractions of this hiking route.
We cross it from bottom to top to take the path that leads us to its renowned cave, hence the name of the town. This is a large cavity with remains of stalactites and stalagmites and some sink. Then we return to the main road, boarding the route in the direction of Collada Doca, later coming across a restored house and stable, where the royal road is blocked by the closure of the farm. Therefore, we are forced to take an alternative path that takes us to the access track from Valle. Through it we progress steadily crossing farms with such common names as La Mallada and Prau Torre. Then we crown the Collada Doca (548 m.) (7 km., In 2 h. And 50 min.). This place, dotted with peasant huts, it constitutes an open window on the most remote landscapes of Piloña. From here cattle trails leave to different places, preferably to the nearby cerru el Tombu peak, located above our heads.
There we headed by the slope of the Cayu in the northern sense. Once at the top, we follow the course of this elongated ridge that extends from the western top of the Arbolín de San Juan to the indicated summit of cerru el Tombu (673 m.) (8,2 km., In 3 h. And 40 min.). It constitutes one of the peaks that chain Mount Cayu, a small mountain range located in the council of Piloña, to the rump of the towns of Torín, Melardi and Valle, and limited between the fluvial channels of the Pequeno and Valle rivers. The most outstanding thing is its strategic geographical location, since From its summit you can discover the open horizons of the Picos de Europa, the Sueve, the Asturian coastal plain, and a myriad of small mountain ranges that are articulated over the middle of the region, from the pongueta mountains to the Cantabrian mountain range itself. Its location is a gift of nature.
After the corresponding stay to be able to admire the panoramic view, we return to the hill, where, varying the direction of the march, we take the track that descends to Valle. Going down there, everything is a display of landscapes that are happening one after another. We descend through the Gaiteru fountain and its enlightened sheepfold to then introduce us into the strangulation of the ravine under the shady old chestnut trees of Mata del Osu. The unevenness is sustained until crossing at the foot of the sheepfold of Peruyeru. When leveling, we have to avoid a detour to the left that goes up Braña Tayada over the Los Ciegos bridge, to then run into the Carraces bridge, which crosses us to the opposite bank of the Valle river, crossing it again by the bridge Melendreres. Definitely we continue with our destination to the town of Valle along that same margin, until connecting with the town (270 m. of average altitude) (11,1 km., in 4 h. and 30 min.). This parish is spread over a wide area where, in addition to its good houses, the parish church of Santa María Magdalena, the emblazoned large house and the attractive walled pine stand out. Then we ascend through its urban fabric towards the Mecín neighborhood following the GR 109 Asturias Interior markings, which will lead us back to Villamayor.
The track we follow ascends towards a hill from which we contemplate Infiesto on the front line. Right there is the hollow of La Reboria, from which in the past, scrubbing sand was extracted and sold in the homes of Infiesto. Then we return to the east towards the town of Melardi, which we cross through the place of Les Mates, where we take the asphalt of its local road that descends to the N-634. We soon leave it to the right, following the footprint of a marked dirt track that leads us without any difficulty to the Carúa de Villamayor neighborhood and to its urban center, where we conclude this hiking route (100 m.) (15,4 km., in 5 h. and 30 min.).
Book «Routes through the mountains and the roads of Asturias»
If you want to know first-hand routes and places like this, we recommend you buy the book «Routes through the mountains and the roads of Asturias», written by Ángel Fdez. Ortega, one of the greatest connoisseurs of the mountains of Asturias ..
