Exploring Somiedo Natural Park should be, above all, an exercise in patience and ecological and cultural respect . You can't rush through it, and it's not permitted to leave any material or object in the park that wasn't there before.
This territory was already inhabited in the early Bronze Age and remains practically untouched. The archaeological landscape reveals ancient burial mounds, hill forts, and in its stunning mountain pastures we find its most well-known feature: the teito cabins , which are stone constructions with a roof of broom, a wild shrub scientifically known as Cytisus scoparius, and which in Somiedo is called "xiniesta".
The mountain pastures of Pornacal and Mumián constitute the most important ethnographic sites in this respect. The huts transport us back to a feudal era; it seems as if we have traveled through time. To our eyes, they appear timeless and romantic. However, the huts have continued to fulfill a vital function to this day, primarily related to livestock, serving as hay storage and shelter for grazing animals. Livestock farming has been the quintessential economic activity; and the tall pastures in summer and the confinement of livestock during the winter have determined the biological clock of the park's inhabitants, especially the popular population of the Vaqueiros de Alzada , the Cantabrian nomads.
Trekking 5 days in Somiedo
Five intense days, with accommodation included, to explore the main attractions, peaks, lakes, and mountain pastures of this natural park… Read more
Every year in spring, the Vaqueira families leave their winter homes and, along with their animals and belongings, move to the summer villages located in the mountain areas . Sometimes these journeys exceeded one hundred kilometers, as some families traveled from the coastal area to the southern slopes of the Cantabrian Mountains, already in the province of León. Currently, about fifty families still travel from the municipalities of Tineo, Salas, and Belmonte de Miranda to the summer villages of Somiedo (El Puerto, La Peral, La Falguera, and Llamardal). The Vaqueira population has contributed, and continues to contribute, much to the ethnography of the municipality, and it is in their musical folklore that their ancestral character is most strongly manifested.
Somiedo: Biosphere Reserve
The municipality of Somiedo comprises 37 population centers grouped into 14 parishes . These villages currently face unprecedented challenges: the decline of the traditional economy, rural aging, and the commitment to new approaches to development in a protected area that, as a Biosphere Reserve , is governed by rather rigid regulations. These strict rules ultimately shape the sociology of the territory in order to preserve its pristine natural environment.
When exploring Somiedo beyond its villages, through its mountains and valleys, we must respect our safety and avoid being overly reckless. It's important to remember that we are in a high mountain area and that it's advisable to inform others of our planned routes, avoid venturing into high-altitude areas in bad weather, carry a detailed map, a compass, and wear appropriate footwear. If we are well-equipped, we will discover that beech forests are the most common type of woodland in Somiedo and typically cover the slopes. Other forests present in the Park include oak groves, birch forests, alder groves, and holm oak forests, which appear in glacial valleys and on karst peaks with rugged geology.
How many bears are there in Somiedo?
Somiedo is home to between 15 and 20% of the Cantabrian Mountains' bear population , totaling around 50 individuals . It boasts the highest bear density in Western Europe. Other notable mountain species include the chamois, golden eagle, roe deer, red deer, pine marten, squirrel, garden dormouse, genet, wolf, and capercaillie.
Where can bears be seen in Somiedo?
There are two areas where there are always people with binoculars, telescopes and other accessories to immortalize the moment, they are Gúa and La Peral , on the way up to the port of Somiedo.
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The bear cub colony is estimated to number over 200 individuals, mostly in western Asturias: in … Read more
How many lakes are there in Somiedo?
Somiedo is a Noah's Ark and a land of legend, complete with mist, forests, and lakes. The entire territory is traversed by land belonging to the upper basin of the Pigüeña River and its tributaries, and lakes and lagoons are numerous . Notable among them are the lakes of Valle, Cerveriz, La Cueva, La Mina, and Lago Negro (also known as Calabazosa), all of glacial origin . Alongside these larger lakes, there are many smaller lagoons, such as Lago Bueno, Lagunas Cabera, Redonda, Llamazo, Fontarente, Lago de la Mesa, Camayor, Fuentes, and others, some of which are seasonal and dry up during the summer.
Lagos de Saliencia
Words can't describe them. You have to see them. The Saliencia Lakes are a diamond in the rough, one of… Read more
Peculiar events in Somiedo
Teitu is born in 2023, the Somiedo Mountain Film Festival, with a wide variety of activities: several film screenings and a series of parallel activities, which will include yoga sessions, stargazing, trekking sessions and environmental education outings.
Teitu: Mountain Film Festival
TEITU is born. There will be several screenings… Read more
Information:
How to access the Park
Somiedo does not have direct access by rail, however, the big lines can leave us in Oviedo or León, which are points reasonably close to Somiedo. From there, the accesses by road in public transport are very well taken care of by the company ALSA that communicates the council practically with all the parts of Asturias.
For those who use the private vehicle, Somiedo has two possible entrances; in the North and in the South. If we come from Madrid or another point of the interior, the most reasonable thing is to use the A-6 to Benavente, where you take the N-630, direction León. A little before León, in Onzonilla, we will see the indicators of the A-66 toll road, direction Oviedo. After a few kilometers, we will cross an impressive cable-stayed bridge over the reservoir of Barrios de Luna, once past we are announced the exit towards Villablino, which we will take to Piedrafita, where we will see the Puerto de Somiedo. Immediately we will arrive at Santa María del Puerto, the first town of Somiedo and the one that marks the beginning of the descent of the port that leads us to Pola de Somiedo.
For those who opt for the North entrance, you have to take the N-634, Oviedo-La Coruña, until a little before Cornellana, where there is a large crossing perfectly signposted. Then, a little further on, we turn to the left again. to take the AS-227, which passing through Belmonte de Miranda, leads us to Pola de Somiedo without possible loss.
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Useful telephone numbers
Health Center: 985 76 36 79.
Riera's office: 985 97 21 00.
Civil Guard: 985 76 36 00.
Ethnographic Museum: 985 76 39 84.
Youth Information Office: 985 76 36 52.
Somiedo Natural Park: 985 76 37 58.
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
