In every rural hamlet with a river or stream, there was a miller who ground grain for all the neighbors in exchange for a share of the profits. The villagers also met there for council meetings. Their role as a cornerstone of the community's economy, as well as a refuge always hidden and nestled among the riverbanks, transformed the mills into objects of legend , especially regarding rumors of love affairs and sinful dealings that took place within their walls.
All this ethnographic and cultural richness of the watermills in Asturias is perfectly represented on the Ruta del Profundu , in the municipality of Villaviciosa. A shady path—welcomed in summer—but very beautiful, running parallel to the river.
During our walk, we will observe the locations of the old mills, giving credit and meaning to an activity that once fed entire villages. Along our route, we will discover a total of 19 mills , some in ruins, others in semi-ruin, and a few in good condition.
The Profundu Route: Where does it start?
The Ríu Profundu Mills Route begins in the Buslaz neighborhood (in Breceña, Villaviciosa) and ends in Valbúcar (Amandi, Villaviciosa), although you can also choose to hike upstream and do the reverse route: from Valbúcar to Buslaz. It's a 7,4-kilometer walk through lush vegetation. The total hike takes about 3 hours, one way. Therefore, it's usually best to arrange for someone to pick you up at the end of the trail, either in Buslaz or Valbúcar.
Starting from Valbúcar , shortly before reaching a well-known estate, La Finca de la Vega, we'll take a path that begins right off the road. At the start of this path, there's an information panel explaining the route. We walk along the path, skirting the estate, until we reach the riverbed . Very close by, we can see the first of the mills: El Molín de Griselda.
Next, we'll approach the neighborhoods of Les Veges and Villaverde , where we'll see the Villaverde Mill. At this point, the path ends, and we emerge onto a paved road. We'll walk along this road for about 400 meters before finding a black gate that leads us back to the path. We'll continue upstream to the Molín del Profundu, of which only its four walls remain.
From this point, the path begins to climb . We will see the remains of the Trabanco Mill, the only one on the entire route that had an attached dwelling, followed by the Pitu Mill. In the area of the parish of Coru, we reach the remains of the Joé Xico Mill, and a few meters from this, we find the Perea Mill.
After passing these last mills, we reach an open area of meadows. We will continue along the riverbank until we reach a wooded area where we will find the ruins of the Perniles y d'Arriba mills. A few meters further on, we will cross the river via a concrete footbridge that leads us to a forest track and a second meadow area. At this point, we will take the track to the left and continue along the edge of the valley.
Further along, we come to a fork in the path. Here, we take the right-hand path until we reach the remains of Pascual's Mill. Following a flat section that runs partly along the old millrace, we arrive at another fork where Lalón's Mill is located. We take the ascending path to the right, leading to La Ullina's Mill. We climb some old steps and cross a poplar grove, which will take us to the unique setting of La Peña's Mill and its waterfall.
We continue along the path that climbs up the left bank of the waterfall towards the Molín del Esprón. From here, after crossing another area of pastureland, we reach another wooded area where we will see the mills of Rea, Peruya, Rosicu, and d'Arriba, all very close together. The Molín d'Arriba is the best-preserved mill on the entire route.
Finally, we will continue upstream until we reach a track that will take us, after a one-kilometer climb, to the town of Buslaz.
On our walk, in addition to the landscape and the ethnographic manifestation that make up the 19 mills , we can enjoy the attractions of the riverside parishes through which the river runs: Breceña, Coru, Lugás, Fuentes, Amandi.
The route is well signposted and maintained. Free tourist brochures are available, as well as a more detailed guidebook, the result of research by the young local chronicler Rafael Balbín.
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
