This natural park is the Asturias' first natural park declared as such and although the Picos de Europa usually take the tourist spotlight, the truth is that the Somiedo Natural Park has nothing to envy and even has some things that are unique, so it is really worth seeing and above all taking the day to hike through the Somiedo Lakes.
All the routes of the Lakes of Somiedo They can be adapted to everyone, so they can be made by entire families. This can be an ideal getaway for the weekend so that everyone can enjoy a natural space as a family, to understand the importance of the environment and that children can learn even more on each excursion.
How to get to Somiedo Natural Park
This natural park is located in the southern area of Asturias and it can be reached from different points. If you come from the south, you can access it from Ponferrada in León, a town that is 101 kilometers from the park. You go up through Páramo del Sil, Villablino and El Puerto until you reach the park. You can also go from Oviedo, with several routes, the shortest being 81 kilometers through Belmonte. From Cangas del Narcea it is about 90 kilometers and the route takes us up to Tebongo and then takes the same road that is used from Oviedo, passing through Belmonte.
Routes of the Somiedo Lakes
The Somiedo Lakes are a great attraction for those who love hiking trails, so you have to look for information before arriving, so that we are prepared for what we are going to find. It turns out that in the area there is more than one route to enjoy these lakes. At the moment we have found two possible hiking trails with different kilometers to go. One of them of 23 kilometers and the other of 14 kilometers. Obviously, both of them visit the most important lakes, but choosing one or the other depends on the preparation of each one. The difficulty is medium, because they are not really very long but we must not forget that it is a mountain area and there are quite a few climbs. Another major difference is that the longest routes are circular to go back to the starting point, in case no one can pick us up, while those indicated as shorter are linear. This is important to organize the car ride.
The routes can start from two points, the population of Saliencia or Valle del Lago. These are the towns closest to the natural area and in Valle del Lago there is a campsite to stay. On the Valle del Lago route and near the campsite, you will first arrive at Lago del Valle. This is a large lake with an island in the center and a place where trout fishing is popular. As it is close to the town, there are many who already stay at this point to spend the day, but there is much more to see. In addition, passing this lake begins to climb the mountain with some peaks such as Peña Ortiz, which is no longer suitable for everyone. You leave this lake behind and continue descending to reach one of the largest, Lake Calabazosa. The trick, if we do not want to walk so much, is the paved road that is about two kilometers away, for those who do not have all day and just want to see the beautiful lake. Bordering this lake are two more: Lake Cerveriz and Laguna de la Cueva. Passing the Cerveriz lagoon you reach a typical green plain of Asturias, which is the beginning of the return to Valle del Lago on the circular route.
If, on the contrary, leaves the town of Saliencia, the Farrapona hill is climbed by car to start the walking route through the lakes there. In this case, we will do the route the other way around, arriving first at Lago de la Cueva and starting the route in the other direction to finish it in this case at Lago del Valle. In this case, you can choose to turn around or have the transport that picks us up at this point ready. Be that as it may, the two starting points offer us a great perspective to visit the famous Somiedo Lakes.
Discovering the Natural Park
This natural park is not only famous for its lakes, but also for being a protected place that is part of the last habitats of our country where the brown bear survives. Obviously, these areas are protected and cannot be accessed, but they show us part of the great importance of the natural park.