By bus to Fuente Dé?

[ranthr]

Do any of you know whether it is possible to go by bus from Santander or other places on the Norte to Fuente Dé. I can find a bus to Potes until mid September but not later, and buses to Funte Dé only during summer, not in October.

 

[oursonpolaire]

I've done the Vadiniense and had no idea that there were buses to Fuente De, even in the summer. I learn something new every day.

 

[whariwharangi]

autobuses Palomera provides service to Fuente De
http://www.autobusespalomera.com/

Transporte Cantabria shows schedule to 15 Sept. I get the impression service is seasonal ... so after 15 Sept you can only get to Potes ... 24 km from Fuente De. I suppose you could try to see if the schedule is updated in September ...
http://www.transportedecantabria.es/web/guest/home

 

[ranthr]

I've done the Vadiniense and had no idea that there were buses to Fuente De, even in the summer. I learn something new every day.

Did you walk Potes - Fuente Dé? The route looks a bit difficult!?

 

[Castilian]

@whariwharangi summed it up pretty well. AFAIK, buses to Fuente Dé are seasonal and end on Sept 15th. OTOH, buses to Potes are year round.

I didn't walk from Potes to Fuente Dé but I know the area and I think it would be a pity to miss it. If going all the way from Potes to Fuente Dé is too much for your first day, you can break the route by staying overnight in Areños. There are tracks available of the route if getting lost worries you.

 

[Tincatinker]

I've walked from Potes to Fuente De. It was a great walk,. I stopped at Espinama and then walked to Sotres the following day. Why a bus to Fuente De in October? You have a chance of hitting snow around Naranjo de Bulnes even that early in the winter.

 

[ranthr]

I've walked from Potes to Fuente De. It was a great walk,. I stopped at Espinama and then walked to Sotres the following day. Why a bus to Fuente De in October? You have a chance of hitting snow around Naranjo de Bulnes even that early in the winter.

Tincatinker, I only just found out that I had missed an opportunity to see the Picos when I was in the neighbourhood some years ago. Starting home via Santander in the beginning of november, so I thought this time might be my second chance.
After starting this thread I have been looking at this camino on gronze, but it seems to a bit tough for an old woman like me. Perhaps if I take the bus to Potes and then walk to Funte Dé in two or three days.
Snow is not a big problem since I walk in snow every day for 6-7 months a year where I live, but I see the point of finding a more suitable time of the year.

 

[Tincatinker]

@ranthr Go for it! The Picos are beautiful, and challenging and grand. The bus ride up to Potes will give you an opportunity to glimpse the joys to come. Having sounded my 'trump of doom' I'll now say go for it. If you would enjoy a scenic circular have a look at Potes - Fuente De - Sotres - Tresviso ( and the sendera de Tresviso) to La Hermida and a bus back to Santander. Do-able in October so long as the snow-fall is light - I've done it in March and in April in moderate snow. The cable-car at Fuente De takes a lump out of the hike to Sotres though you will get funny looks from the cross-country skiers and alpanistas. If you would like more detail I'll try and find my notebook from that trip though as I went in the mid- 90's names may have changed.

 

[Castilian]

Perhaps if I take the bus to Potes and then walk to Funte Dé in two or three days

If the cable car is working on your travel date (and the weather is nice enough), you may take it to take a glimse of the mountains without (too much) effort.

Another option you may research for a two days hike (one on one direction and the other one to go back although you can make it in a single day if you make just the route from Poncebos to Caín) is to walk the Ruta del Cares (you'll find plenty of info about it online). That way you would see part of the Asturian side of the Picos de Europa and part of the Leonese side.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi ranthr, I've walked the lebaniego and vadiniense and I don't think that stage is particularly difficult. It may be a bit long, though. I'll have to look back at my notes when I'm home in a few days. Actually since so much of it is off- road it is one of the less punishing stages IMO. And also one of the most beautiful. There are easy ways to break it up with a hotel stop. And the day from Fuente De on the Senda da Remoña is one of those rare ***** mountain days. My blog will have more details, it's in my signature below.

I'm an old lady too and I say go for it. Tincatinker's ideas about a couple of day hikes is a good one. I remember that when I got to Fuente De I wished I had time to stay put for a few days to enjoy the area more. It's stunning.

 

[peregrino_tom]

Ranthr - Ha! I too was curious as to why you wanted to bus it to Fuente De. Now we know!
I walked this stage three weeks ago. I was a bit dehydrated by then and a bit intimidated by Gronze's 5/5 difficulty rating. I'd been to Sto Toribio the day before so planned to go along the road for some of the way. And where I did, the road was absolutely fine - very quiet in the morning. I came off the road at Beares and got lost in the hills, so decided not to go off it again at S Pelayo. Walked on the road to Los Llanos and took the off-road path from there (which was a lovely path & track along the side of the hill) to Arenos/Cosgaya. There I met an English couple who'd come especially to walk the next off-road section which they knew. They tried to convince me to join them but as it's about 6k longer and I still had Gronze's scary rating in my mind, I stuck to the road. Which was a big mistake as I arrived in Espinama to my surprise just after 11.30 (I started at 6am). So it's very walkable and you have several places you can decide to take the road or the longer nicer paths.
I stayed in the mountain refuge in Fuente De, and enjoyed it, but if you want to cook you should bring food from the little supermercado in Espinama. When I was there the cable car cafe was closed, but some fellow pilgrims had the most amazing gigantic tortilla sandwich/loaf made for them at the Parador (for €6).
The route up from Fuente De to the highest point on the camino (with wonderful vistas) is all on a 4x4 track and very well marked, and only takes a couple of hours. So I'd say it's do-able for a seasoned camino walker at most times of year. You could then either follow the camino on to Portilla de la Reina, go back to Fuente De or go across to the staffed mountain hut at Jermoso (if it is open and the weather is good and you don't mind a little bit of mountain path at the end).
Sorry for writing so much - it's just it's still all fresh in the memory! I'm going to start a separate thread about what I found about Lebaniego/Vadiniense in the next week and post photos.
Cheers, tom

 

[ranthr]

Thank you all for inspiring me. I had an idea that you Margareth had walked there but there seems to be several mountain goates in this forum. My plan so far is only to spend a couple of days in Funte Dé as an end of my camino this year. I will either take some slow walking days from the coast to Funte Dé or go bus bus to Potes and walk to and from. Weather broadcast will help me to decide. Perhaps after a short visit this year, and after reading your blogs and posts, I'd want to come back for a longer walk another year.

 

[oursonpolaire]

Did you walk Potes - Fuente Dé? The route looks a bit difficult!?

No-- I walked from Potes (via the monastery) to Cosgaya, where I stayed overnight at the Hotel del Oso (trying to be a parador, but quite comfortable) and then headed up the mountain trail by the Rio Cubo, over the mountain meadows to the monument of Oso Pardo, then down a country road to the N-621 and from there to Portilla de la Reina