Texu Canal Route: from Bulnes to Poncebos

Texu Canal Route on the map

Latitude: 43.2354202 Length: -4.8195829
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This route detailed here takes you from Bulnes to Poncebos along the legendary Canal del Texu trail.

We will leave Bulnes, specifically the La Villa or Lower Bulnes neighborhood, crossing the bridge and turning left. We will pass under the linden tree (La Teya) next to the church , continuing between the church and the Bulnes cemetery . This cemetery was one of the few in the world that was roofed to allow for the burial of the dead during the winter, due to the heavy snowfalls of the past . It is also worth noting that "El Cuco," the first person to die on the slopes of Picu Urriellu or Naranjo de Bulnes, was buried here. A plaque dedicated to this ill-fated climber can be seen on the walls. Next, on our left, are the ruins of the old rectory where the priest of Bulnes lived (655 m).

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We left the village, passing Casa Fausta, and a few meters further down, we left a path on our left that crosses the river ( El Abarcadoriu ). A little further on, to our right, is El Toyu Pío . We continued walking downhill along a straight section of the path. To our left, on the other side of the river, there is an old yew tree next to the current water treatment plant. One of the village's four mills used to be located here. Also to our left, higher up, we could see the other neighborhood of Bulnes: El Pueblu , or the Castle neighborhood.

We will now pass by La Posa el Payariegu and shortly after, reach the upper entrance of the funicular, passing through “El Parariegu or Concha del Payariego” , next to a transformer. Then, on our left, we will see La Metida Rosalía (a meadow) and Tras el Sedín . We continue along La Llosa de Lola (a rectangular meadow on the left between the path and the river) and proceed to a junction where, on our left, is the Jondeyón Bridge or Colines Bridge (590 m), which provides access to Bulnes de Arriba or El Pueblu.

We are in Colines de Arriba . To our right is a cattle shed and to our left a rock, on which you can see the remains of where a plaque was placed by the Spanish Mountaineering Federation dedicated to the residents of Bulnes with the inscription: “Bulnes, friendly town of mountaineers” for their collaboration in the rescues that took place on the Picu Urriellu or Naranjo de Bulnes.

We continued downstream and passed a spot where two large stones sit atop a pool of water in the river. There used to be a bridge over these stones, and next to it a mill: El Molín del Cuetu . Further down, we reached a place known as Colines de Abajo : to our right, a rectangular stone, well-placed for resting our backsides, known as La Posa de Colines . To our left, an old, nearly dead oak tree, beside which, nestled among the bushes, a spring of drinking water emerges. To the right, a small cave, La Cueva de Colines (545 m), where the oldest remains of human life in the Cabrales municipality were found.

The path continues horizontally, with a meadow next to the river on our left, and in it the remains of a dam once built by Electra de Viesgo to calculate the flow of water in the river.

The path now climbs a short distance before continuing horizontally, offering a view of the village of Camarmeña ahead. From here, we can see a long stretch of the Canal del Texu trail , which descends rapidly. We descend a sharp bend at El Sedo de la Lisar or Seu Lisar, where on our right there is a small cave formed by an enormous rock, a place known as El Cagadoriu (a word that clearly indicates what was done there). We pass through El Becerralón , an area of boulders where calves were penned after being separated from their mothers.

We continue along a level stretch and reach another bend with a rock overhang. Just a few meters before this bend, there are five crosses carved into the rock to our right. We are at a place called "Las Cruces" (The Crosses) , which commemorate five residents of Bulnes who were swept away and killed by an avalanche at the beginning of the 20th century. Below, in the river, a narrow section where the bodies were thrown by the snowslide is known as La Voluga de los Muertos (Voluga: a narrowing in the river). After passing the aforementioned bend, we arrive at Tras las Cruces (Behind the Crosses ).

We continue downhill and pass under a concrete structure designed to channel water during heavy rains; we are now at the Riega del Texu stream (465 m). The path continues, passing places known as El Posadorio (where people would store their belongings and sit to rest), where the current path joins the old one, which is clearly visible descending directly in twists and turns towards the river. This old path is dangerous due to the possibility of falling rocks, which are sometimes even dislodged by careless hikers. And so we continue, passing through Martiñano , El Pardu la Robre (named for the brown color of the rocks), and La Calzada del Pontigu.

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The path descends rapidly in a series of twists and turns to approach the river. Before reaching it, we pass by El Paré de Quiñones (335 m) and then El Cabezu las Puentes . At the river level, we reach Las Puentes (named for the old bridges that existed there before the path was rerouted). We then cross a horizontal section carved into the rock, known as Donde abierto Celesto (Where Celesto Opened It), named after the person who opened this section with a hammer and drill. We climb again and reach the summit of Cuetu Codilla (315 m), where to our right is El Toyo Manuel. There, a stone wall forms a narrow passage, which appears to have been an attempt to extend the path in that area.

From here you can see the road to Poncebos and the village of Camarmeña. We continue down through Las Vueltas de Codilla to reach La Zorera , a spot where the river narrows and where the old road used to run. We arrive at the Puente del Jardu (250 m). After crossing it, we pass through La Corredoria de Jéndigos (this section should be crossed quickly and carefully due to the possibility of falling rocks, sometimes caused by livestock upstream). Our walk takes us to "El Colladín encima la casa" (by the stable located a little further down), from where we can see the road and the medieval Puente de La Jaya, already mentioned in the chronicles of Alfonso X the Wise. We still have to cross this bridge over the crystal-clear waters of the Cares River before finally climbing the last stretch, which takes us to the paved road 250 m away. We will have been walking for about 45 to 60 minutes from Bulnes.

How to get to Bulnes on foot?

We've detailed the reverse route here, a three-kilometer route that connects the towns of Bulnes and Poncebos. The difficulty of the route is medium, so all you need to do is put on some good hiking boots and set off on a route that's sure to leave you speechless. Whichever direction you take, toward Bulnes or Poncebos, the experience will be very pleasant.

Funicular to Bulnes

If you can't walk the route, which we recommend, you can always take the funicular up to Bulnes. A 7-minute ride takes you deep into the heart of the Picos de Europa. You can find all the information regarding schedules, fares, and pets in the link we provided.