Spain Travel – Asturias: Exploring the Picos de Europa

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Spain Travel – Asturias: Exploring the Picos de Europa

Posted On : Dec-10-2010 | seen (364) times | Article Word Count : 1626 |

My day began with a nice breakfast overlooking the town of Cangas de Onís, a pretty town of about 6700 people that is embedded in the Picos de Europa region in the northern Spanish province of Asturias. I was staying at the Hotel La Cepada whose elevated location on a hillside provides amazing views over the town below. The weather had cleared up since yesterday and fortunately the rain had stopped.

Just after 9 am my local expert guide, Juan Feliz, came to pick me up. Juan runs a local outdoor adventure company called fronteraverde.com which offers all sorts of activities, from canoeing and canyoning on the Sella River, to hiking, trekking and caving. Recommended by Turismo Asturias, he was the perfect guy to introduce me to the Picos de Europa, the limestone mountain chain that runs along northern Spain.

We began with a walk through the town of Cangas de Onís, which was the capital of the Kingdom of Asturias until 774 AD. In nearby Covadonga, Christian forces under Don Pelayo won a critical battle over the Moors, which triggered the start of the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of Spain from its Muslim invaders. Our first major sight as we walked into town was the “Puente Romano”, the Roman bridge over the Sella River, which actually was built during medieval times. The bridge is a rather unusual structure, with its large arch that culminates in a triangular peaked walkway, and four smaller arches. A Christian cross is suspended from the highest point of the arch of this designated Historic Artistic Monument.

During our stroll into town Juan told me a bit more about himself. His entire family is from this area, but Juan, given his adventurous spirit, has lived in Madrid, Oviedo, France, Germany and even Pensacola, Florida. After completing a university degree and all his international travels, he moved back to Arriondas where together with his father, he decided to open an outdoor adventure company in 1999. Today about 70% of his clientele comes from different parts of Spain while about 30% come from other parts of Europe, the United States and Canada. He added that North Americans have been coming here for a long time.

We had now reached the main square of Cangas which is anchored by an attractive church and a big statue of Don Pelayo, the local hero who defeated the Moors. On the main street we walked by a miniature model of the Picos de Europa mountain chain and Juan explained all the different peaks and valleys to me. In some of the gorges there is an altitude difference of 2000 metres between the river and the mountain. The Picos de Europa are definitely a magical destination for any outdoor enthusiasts.

Juan also took advantage of our walk to introduce me to some of the gastronomic specialties of Asturias. We walked into an attractive store called “La Barata” that carries a variety of typical Asturian food items. Since its inception in 1934, La Barata has been one of the most popular specialty grocery stores in Cangas.

The store carries a variety of local beans (a key ingredient in the famous Asturian bean stew called “fabada”), a wide range of Asturian cheeses, different varieties of cider (the regional drink of Asturias), sausages as well as a selection of local cookies, candy, honeys, jams, spices and condiments. All the local Asturian delicacies are on offer here at La Barata.

After our explorations in Cangas Juan and I drove up into the mountains where we parked the vehicle and walked for about 20 minutes on a forested pathway to the La Molina River. This is the starting point for the canyoning experiences that Fronteraverde offers. I have never gone canyoning, so I did not have a clear idea of what’s involved here. But it basically entails rappelling down to the river and from that point forward could involve swimming, walking, scrambling and climbing through the narrow, rocky river valley. A wet suit is a necessity for this activity.

Today we opted for a softer type of adventure as we hiked back up from the river which gave me a chance to find out more about Juan Feliz. During the downtime in his business in the winter, he actually loves to travel himself and has been to the Philippines, and more recently to Mozambique where he worked on an ecological resort. This winter he went to Andalusia in southern Spain which offers much warmer temperatures than the north of the country. Juan is an adventurer through and through!

The sun was coming out nicely now as we drove on the narrow country roads of the Asturian mountains. We stopped in a pretty village called Asiegu which is a typical Asturian mountain village. Juan explained that in the Picos de Europa most of the villages are located on the southern slopes of the mountains because the north-facing slopes receive very little sunlight during the day.

We walked on narrow streets past a number of stone houses before we arrived at our destination: a cider house that was founded by brothers Manuel and Javier Niembro to introduce visitors to the typical gastronomy in an Asturian mountain village. The brothers wanted to preserve the cultural and culinary heritage of their region and now they make this experience available to travellers from all over.

Their company is called “Ruta’l Quesu y la Sidra” (the "Cheese and Cider Route" in the local Asturian dialect) and it provides a two hour tour of the village and well as a sit-down meal. Visitors get to see a cheese factory where the local cabrales goat cheese is made. A visit to a cave where the cheese matures is included as well. They also learn about rural life and agricultural traditions in Asturias before they get to sit down and sample some typical Asturian delicacies. The menu includes cabrales cheese, corn cakes, bean paste, a cod omelette, boiled eggs, homemade croquettes, Asturian chorizo sausage, and a pecan pie for dessert. All this is accompanied by cider from Manuel and Javier’s own production.

Inside an Asturian farm house with a wooden ceiling and a stone roof, we first saw a video that introduced us to the details of cider production. Then Manuel showed us the ceiling-mounted spigots that bring in the cider from holding tanks in the next room. The spigots are mounted on the ceiling because in Asturias cider is always poured from above the head. If there is no overhead spigot, people raise the bottle high above their head and pour the cider in a long stream down into the waiting glass. This unusual method of pouring is intended to aerate the cider.

Then - what a big surprise - Asturian television showed up to film me while I was interviewing Manuel. The arrival of a Toronto-based travel journalist was apparently big enough news to draw out the local television crew. This was a first for me, getting filmed while I was interviewing Manuel! The two young ladies from Asturian television were very nice and they were planning to accompany us to our next destination.

Juan packed me in his car and we drove down the mountain into the Cares River Valley. This valley cuts deeply into the surrounding mountains, and the Cares River Gorge is one of the most popular hiking routes in the Picos de Europa. The road is also a popular drive for motorists who love scenic mountain routes. In truly awe-inspiring fashion, the walls of the mountains ascend almost vertically from the river bed.

After turning off the main road and ascending through a number of switchbacks, we stopped in Camarmeña, a picturesque high-altitude mountain village that features a gorgeous view towards the Naranjo de Bulnes, one of the highest mountains in the Picos de Europa mountain massif. Although the weather was a little overcast, we enjoyed the awe-inspiring mountain panorama. Asturian television was still filming me as I took my photos of this unique location while mountain goats were munching away on grass completely undisturbed by all the commotion.

t was now late afternoon and my stomach was definitely growling. After we finished our shots with Televisión Asturias, we drove down the mountains into a village called Arenas where we stopped for a very late lunch in a rustic local restaurant. Juan ordered liver soup and pork with cabrales sauce while I requested "pote", a local Asturian stew with beans, kale and potatoes. Our hearty dishes certainly hit the spot before we drove back to Cangas de Onís.

From here we made one more attempt to visit the glacial lakes Enol and Ercina, high above the pilgrimage village of Covadonga. But as yesterday, the fog had rolled in and the weather was getting worse by the second. Soon the mountains were completely enshrouded in a thick grey soup and there was no way I was going to see the beautiful Lakes of Covadonga or the impressive mountain panorama surrounding them. With my packed schedule in Asturias, there was no chance of me seeing these gorgeous mountain lakes this time; reason enough for me to travel back to Asturias some time the future…

So we drove down the mountain again and Juan dropped me off at my comfortable home for the night, the Hotel La Cepada, where I enjoyed a nice warm night inside, looking out the large picture windows at the lit-up town of Cangas in the rain. Hopefully tomorrow the weather was going to be better for my explorations of the coastline of Asturias.

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<h1>Spain Travel – Asturias: Exploring the Picos de Europa </h1> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_arther.aspx'>arther</a> My day began with a nice breakfast overlooking the town of Cangas de Onís, a pretty town of about 6700 people that is embedded in the Picos de Europa region in the northern Spanish province of Asturias. I was staying at the Hotel La Cepada whose elevated location on a hillside provides amazing views over the town below. The weather had cleared up since yesterday and fortunately the rain had stopped.

Just after 9 am my local expert guide, Juan Feliz, came to pick me up. Juan runs a local outdoor adventure company called www.fronteraverde.com which offers all sorts of activities, from canoeing and canyoning on the Sella River, to hiking, trekking and caving. Recommended by Turismo Asturias, he was the perfect guy to introduce me to the Picos de Europa, the limestone mountain chain that runs along northern Spain.

We began with a walk through the town of Cangas de Onís, which was the capital of the Kingdom of Asturias until 774 AD. In nearby Covadonga, Christian forces under Don Pelayo won a critical battle over the Moors, which triggered the start of the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of Spain from its Muslim invaders. Our first major sight as we walked into town was the “Puente Romano”, the Roman bridge over the Sella River, which actually was built during medieval times. The bridge is a rather unusual structure, with its large arch that culminates in a triangular peaked walkway, and four smaller arches. A Christian cross is suspended from the highest point of the arch of this designated Historic Artistic Monument.

During our stroll into town Juan told me a bit more about himself. His entire family is from this area, but Juan, given his adventurous spirit, has lived in Madrid, Oviedo, France, Germany and even Pensacola, Florida. After completing a university degree and all his international travels, he moved back to Arriondas where together with his father, he decided to open an outdoor adventure company in 1999. Today about 70% of his clientele comes from different parts of Spain while about 30% come from other parts of Europe, the United States and Canada. He added that North Americans have been coming here for a long time.

We had now reached the main square of Cangas which is anchored by an attractive church and a big statue of Don Pelayo, the local hero who defeated the Moors. On the main street we walked by a miniature model of the Picos de Europa mountain chain and Juan explained all the different peaks and valleys to me. In some of the gorges there is an altitude difference of 2000 metres between the river and the mountain. The Picos de Europa are definitely a magical destination for any outdoor enthusiasts.

Juan also took advantage of our walk to introduce me to some of the gastronomic specialties of Asturias. We walked into an attractive store called “La Barata” that carries a variety of typical Asturian food items. Since its inception in 1934, La Barata has been one of the most popular specialty grocery stores in Cangas.

The store carries a variety of local beans (a key ingredient in the famous Asturian bean stew called “fabada”), a wide range of Asturian cheeses, different varieties of cider (the regional drink of Asturias), sausages as well as a selection of local cookies, candy, honeys, jams, spices and condiments. All the local Asturian delicacies are on offer here at La Barata.

After our explorations in Cangas Juan and I drove up into the mountains where we parked the vehicle and walked for about 20 minutes on a forested pathway to the La Molina River. This is the starting point for the canyoning experiences that Fronteraverde offers. I have never gone canyoning, so I did not have a clear idea of what’s involved here. But it basically entails rappelling down to the river and from that point forward could involve swimming, walking, scrambling and climbing through the narrow, rocky river valley. A wet suit is a necessity for this activity.

Today we opted for a softer type of adventure as we hiked back up from the river which gave me a chance to find out more about Juan Feliz. During the downtime in his business in the winter, he actually loves to travel himself and has been to the Philippines, and more recently to Mozambique where he worked on an ecological resort. This winter he went to Andalusia in southern Spain which offers much warmer temperatures than the north of the country. Juan is an adventurer through and through!

The sun was coming out nicely now as we drove on the narrow country roads of the Asturian mountains. We stopped in a pretty village called Asiegu which is a typical Asturian mountain village. Juan explained that in the Picos de Europa most of the villages are located on the southern slopes of the mountains because the north-facing slopes receive very little sunlight during the day.

We walked on narrow streets past a number of stone houses before we arrived at our destination: a cider house that was founded by brothers Manuel and Javier Niembro to introduce visitors to the typical gastronomy in an Asturian mountain village. The brothers wanted to preserve the cultural and culinary heritage of their region and now they make this experience available to travellers from all over.

Their company is called “Ruta’l Quesu y la Sidra” (the "Cheese and Cider Route" in the local Asturian dialect) and it provides a two hour tour of the village and well as a sit-down meal. Visitors get to see a cheese factory where the local cabrales goat cheese is made. A visit to a cave where the cheese matures is included as well. They also learn about rural life and agricultural traditions in Asturias before they get to sit down and sample some typical Asturian delicacies. The menu includes cabrales cheese, corn cakes, bean paste, a cod omelette, boiled eggs, homemade croquettes, Asturian chorizo sausage, and a pecan pie for dessert. All this is accompanied by cider from Manuel and Javier’s own production.

Inside an Asturian farm house with a wooden ceiling and a stone roof, we first saw a video that introduced us to the details of cider production. Then Manuel showed us the ceiling-mounted spigots that bring in the cider from holding tanks in the next room. The spigots are mounted on the ceiling because in Asturias cider is always poured from above the head. If there is no overhead spigot, people raise the bottle high above their head and pour the cider in a long stream down into the waiting glass. This unusual method of pouring is intended to aerate the cider.

Then - what a big surprise - Asturian television showed up to film me while I was interviewing Manuel. The arrival of a Toronto-based travel journalist was apparently big enough news to draw out the local television crew. This was a first for me, getting filmed while I was interviewing Manuel! The two young ladies from Asturian television were very nice and they were planning to accompany us to our next destination.

Juan packed me in his car and we drove down the mountain into the Cares River Valley. This valley cuts deeply into the surrounding mountains, and the Cares River Gorge is one of the most popular hiking routes in the Picos de Europa. The road is also a popular drive for motorists who love scenic mountain routes. In truly awe-inspiring fashion, the walls of the mountains ascend almost vertically from the river bed.

After turning off the main road and ascending through a number of switchbacks, we stopped in Camarmeña, a picturesque high-altitude mountain village that features a gorgeous view towards the Naranjo de Bulnes, one of the highest mountains in the Picos de Europa mountain massif. Although the weather was a little overcast, we enjoyed the awe-inspiring mountain panorama. Asturian television was still filming me as I took my photos of this unique location while mountain goats were munching away on grass completely undisturbed by all the commotion.

t was now late afternoon and my stomach was definitely growling. After we finished our shots with Televisión Asturias, we drove down the mountains into a village called Arenas where we stopped for a very late lunch in a rustic local restaurant. Juan ordered liver soup and pork with cabrales sauce while I requested "pote", a local Asturian stew with beans, kale and potatoes. Our hearty dishes certainly hit the spot before we drove back to Cangas de Onís.

From here we made one more attempt to visit the glacial lakes Enol and Ercina, high above the pilgrimage village of Covadonga. But as yesterday, the fog had rolled in and the weather was getting worse by the second. Soon the mountains were completely enshrouded in a thick grey soup and there was no way I was going to see the beautiful Lakes of Covadonga or the impressive mountain panorama surrounding them. With my packed schedule in Asturias, there was no chance of me seeing these gorgeous mountain lakes this time; reason enough for me to travel back to Asturias some time the future…

So we drove down the mountain again and Juan dropped me off at my comfortable home for the night, the Hotel La Cepada, where I enjoyed a nice warm night inside, looking out the large picture windows at the lit-up town of Cangas in the rain. Hopefully tomorrow the weather was going to be better for my explorations of the coastline of Asturias.

About the Author: Susanne Pacher is a Travel Journalist specializing in <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.travelandtransitions.com/">Unconventional Travel</a> you can get tons of great unconventional and unique travel information and tips if you <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.travelandtransitions.com/">Click Here</a> Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Spain-Travel-–-Asturias-Exploring-the-Picos-de-Europa_44725.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Spain Travel – Asturias: Exploring the Picos de Europa _44725.aspx</a>

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Susanne Pacher is a Travel Journalist specializing in Unconventional Travel you can get tons of great unconventional and unique travel information and tips if you Click Here

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