10 Days in Asturias

[jumar]

We were between orienteering events near Madrid and had about 12 days to spare so decided to head north. It had been some years since we had last visited the Picos de Europa so we decided to return. We left after the presentation at the event and stayed the night at the camperstop in Palencia. As usual it was well attended with mainly Dutch and French motorhomers.

The next morning, after shopping at Lidl, we headed north through Carrion de los Condes, Guardo, passing the east of the Embalse de Riaño to cross over the Puerto de San Glorio down to Potes.

View from the Puerto showing the road down to Potes

We had decided to go to the ACSI site La Viorna to get sorted after two weeks of wilding and competitions. We last visited about 7 years ago and hoped the site was still as good. We chose a pitch with a view.

Taken through the lounge area window.

We decided to take a ride up to Fuente De on our new ciclo cross bikes.

Cable car at Fuente De. It is possible to stay in the car park here overnight.


More to follow ....

 

[jumar]

The day after cycling to Fuente De we took the easy option and drove back up in the Motorhome. We wanted to redo a walk we had done before. Funny what time does. Couldn't remember the descent being as bad before.

On the route up

The start of the descent. The car park is one hour and ten minutes below!!!

 

[Judge Mental]

The start of the descent. The car park is one hour and ten minutes below!!!

My knee gone into a spasm just at the thought of it!

 

[jumar]

Our knees are normally good but complained towards the end. Don't know whether we'll do the same walk again after the same number of years!

 

[jumar]

After our walk we decided not to stay at the cable car parking with the 8 or so other motorhomes but to try the camperstop in Tama near Potes so we could be on the route to go round the north of the Picos the next day. We put the co-ordinates into the GPS but it left us in the middle of the main N621 road. With no desire to go looking for it we decided to do the drive round to Avin ACSI site now instead of the morning.

The campsite at Avin is OK but not as good as La Viorna. That must be the best site in the Picos.

We took a bike ride the next day which was harder than it looked on the road map. Why don't they show contours? And then had a menu del dia before returning to the campsite. The last two kilometres were the hardest!

The next morning we decided to go for an easy day and head towards the coast. We stayed on a camperstop at Somo, to the east of Gijon. No photos of the camperstop. It is mixed parking near some very exclusive houses, next to a park and a coastal path.

From the footpath heading west.

View towards Gijon.

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[jumar]

Well ... On the motorway on the way to this camperstop a small stone hit the windscreen. It made a small indentation that looked as though it could be repaired, but by the time we had put the van on ramps to level it a crack had appeared. This was Saturday so had to wait until Monday to call the insurance. Being near two largish cities, Gijon and Oviedo, we decided to stay on the coast for another day. We drove to a camperstop belonging to a campsite at a small place called Bañugues between Gijon and Aviles. This was 10 Euros a night without electricity but we felt was worth it. We cycled to the lighthouse at Cabo de Peñas from here and made a circular route back to the bar on the beach across the road from the camperstop.

Views from near the lighthouse

Beach bar

Monday morning's call to the insurance gave us the go ahead to have the screen replaced. Due to being in the wrong lane on the motorway to exit for Gijon we continued to Oviedo. Arrived at Carglass in Oviedo and booked in for 4 p.m. the following day.

Decided to revisit another area from our past trips, the Trubia valley, and ride some of the Senda del Osso.

There is a place to park motorhomes at Entrago. It's a parking area for motorhomes, campers and cars and its also allowed to pitch tents around the football pitch. Toilets and pay showers are provided. It has been provided by the community to encourage visitors to this small village and is used by climbers as well as cyclists and walkers.

 

[jumar]

The bits of the Sends del Osso we could see from the road led us to believe it was a well surfaced trail and so we set off on the cyclocross bikes. Wrong choice! Mountain bikes would have been better. We rode as far as we could to access the road and took a detour to the Embalse de Valdemurrio where we stopped to have our sandwich lunch. There is a camperstop at Barzaña apparently but we didn't get that far.

Lunch stop

View across the reservoir

 

[berni109]

Great area went a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. Not as active as u but plenty of walks and interesting places to visit.

 

[funflair]

Not many are as active as those two.

Well we certainly aren't.

Martin

 

[mid4did]

Nice post with some great photos,you lost me on the difference between bikes but trying to keep up I ride a halfords special myself.I got talking to a chap from Norwich today,like that accent.He was also extolling the virtues of Asturias and in particular the white sandy beaches and gijon,more studying to be done on that area methinks

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[jumar]

I seem to remember that you did a fair amount of cycling when you were here.

 

[jumar]

Nice post with some great photos,you lost me on the difference between bikes but trying to keep up I ride a halfords special myself.I got talking to a chap from Norwich today,like that accent.He was also extolling the virtues of Asturias and in particular the white sandy beaches and gijon,more studying to be done on that area methinks

Mountain bikes are heavy, strong bikes for "mountains"! Cyclocross bikes ( new to us also) are more like road bikes but with the ability to use them on gravel tracks also. They have opened up a whole new world of cycling for us.

 

[Munchie]

Bugger off @jumar! You are only posting that to make us jealous cos you know we can't get away!!!

 

[jumar]

Only a few more days to go!

On the morning of the screen repair we took a short walk to the next village Teverga. There is a minor road with a sectioned off lane for walking between the two villages. It's only 1.5 kilometres along this road but with wonderful views.

We found another Motorhome parking area here. Not in any of our info. but one we'll use in future, whenever that will be as we don't get up here too often!

Scenery between the villages

Motorhome parking area Teverga

Teverga

 

[jumar]

Bugger off @jumar! You are only posting that to make us jealous cos you know we can't get away!!!

A suggested route for you when you can get back out (before you come down here for the winter).

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[DBK]

Great photos. We had a week there a few years ago, only saw one UK registered vehicle.

Great weather too, very lucky, but the remains of a hurricane might be coming your way soon, so make the best of it!

 

[jumar]

We headed back to Oviedo to spend some money in Decathlon before taking the van for its new screen. We noticed some Motorhome parking signs coming into Oviedo and saw some vans parked. Think this is also a new area. Good for visiting the city.

Took van in at 3.50 p.m. to collect at 6 p.m. Back on the road at 6.10 p.m. excellent service.

Now decided to begin to head south slowly and took the road to Leon. What a road! We found a Motorhome parking on Camper Contact but could imagine where there would be a flat enough area for parking until we saw signs for a ski area. By this time we were driving in thick fog and found the area almost by touch!

The next morning when the fog had cleared

We drove down towards Leon the next morning and saw thick frost in the fields at the side of the road.

From La Robla we headed east to go to another Motorhome parking area at Boñar. We had picked a circular road ride from here, hoping it wouldn't be as hilly as some of our recent rides.

There was only one other motorhome here. German registered van.

 

[MillieMoocher]

Great posts and photos, thanks!

Unfortunately you've now added another destination that we're just going to have to go to

 

[jumar]

From here we had to head back to go orienteering at Navalcan, a small village south of the Sierra de Gredos.

We hoped to stop at Avila but the fair was using the parking area there so we wild camped on the road to the Puerto del Pico.

And drove over the Puerto the next morning.

Parked at the Puerto.

And so ends our trip to Asturias.

 

[jumar]

Great photos. We had a week there a few years ago, only saw one UK registered vehicle.

Great weather too, very lucky, but the remains of a hurricane might be coming your way soon, so make the best of it!

We're back in Totana now, expecting some rain tomorrow!

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[Munchie]

Welcome home!
Can't wait till next year!!!

 

[jumar]

Welcome home!
Can't wait till next year!!!

Thanks.

We've told you before you need to see the north of Spain, now you can see why.

 

[Munchie]

Thanks.

We've told you before you need to see the north of Spain, now you can see why.

Yesssssss

 

[DBK]

We headed back to Oviedo to spend some money in Decathlon before taking the van for its new screen. We noticed some Motorhome parking signs coming into Oviedo and saw some vans parked. Think this is also a new area. Good for visiting the city.

Took van in at 3.50 p.m. to collect at 6 p.m. Back on the road at 6.10 p.m. excellent service.

Now decided to begin to head south slowly and took the road to Leon. What a road! We found a Motorhome parking on Camper Contact but could imagine where there would be a flat enough area for parking until we saw signs for a ski area. By this time we were driving in thick fog and found the area almost by touch!

View attachment 78468
The next morning when the fog had cleared

View attachment 78469

We drove down towards Leon the next morning and saw thick frost in the fields at the side of the road.

From La Robla we headed east to go to another Motorhome parking area at Boñar. We had picked a circular road ride from here, hoping it wouldn't be as hilly as some of our recent rides.

View attachment 78473

View attachment 78475

There was only one other motorhome here. German registered van.

Oviedo, Woody Allen's favourite apparently. I can only confess to having driven round it on the motorway. Must stop by some time. http://www.woodyallenpages.com/2015/07/woodywatch-woody-allen-holidays-in-oviedo-spain/