Side trip from Llanes to walk in the Picos de Europa

[smileymadd]

I would like to make a side trip from Llanes to walk the Cares Gorge (Poncebos to Cain) in the Picos de Europa, return journey 24km and approximately 7 hours in duration. Just wondering if Llanes would be the best place to base myself, also wondering about transport from Llanes to Poncebos. I know this is a full day hike and an early start is needed. Advice from anyone who has done this would be very welcome. I plan on walking late September/early October.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi smileymadd,
Turns out I am in Llanes right now, having my coffee before heading out to walk. I can't tell you about which point is the best one to detour from, but I can tell you that I walked that route with my family in 2005, and it was jampacked. Sort of like a single file march. It was summer, true, but this was a long time ago, and the tourism in this area has increased greatly.

If you want to see some of the Picos and keep walking, you could take the camino Lebañiego from San Vicente to Potes and up to Fuente De on the Vadiniense. The area around Potes and Fuente De has wonderful mountain day hiking also.

 

[smileymadd]

Cheers Laurie, you have given me much to think about. Will look into your suggestions, much appreciated.

 

[Maxie]

Cheers Laurie, you have given me much to think about. Will look into your suggestions, much appreciated.

I caught the bus from Colombres to Arenas las Cabrales €2.30 and spent 9 days climbing in the Picos . Caught the bus to Llanes €3.40 after my excursion. Now I continue with the CdN of which I'm still walking but slowly , (waiting for the snow to melt in the high Pyrenees).
The Ceres gorge is a 6k walk from Arenas. Very easy to find just 1 road to walk down . There is a bus to Poncebos also , not many runs per day , no idea of times.

 

[smileymadd]

Hi Maxie, thanks for your input. I checked out the area you mentioned. I would like to have more time to discover the Picos like yourself, but I think now I will go with my original plan to walk the Cares Gorge return in a day just to get a small taste of a huge area. After looking into Laurie's recommendation, it is just a little more out of my way, so to speak. You said you were walking slowly, this has always been my way on each of my caminos, every day a new adventure. Buen camino!