Lebaniego (San Vicente to Espinama) + mountain add ons!

[WestKirsty]

Hi again! I'm just back from an incredible 8 days on trails, mostly in wonderful mountains! I thought I'd add a couple of posts here to share info on the Lebaniego in June 2024 and then some information on how we extended our walk in the Picos de Europa, as others might be interested.

Our itinerary was:
Camino Lebaniego: San Vicente de la Barquera - Lafuente - Potes/Santo Toribio

Camino Vadiniese: Potes/Santo Toribio - Espinama

Connecting Hiking Route: Espinama - Posada de Valdeon

Anillo de Picos (Vindio): Posada de Valdeon - Refugio Ario vía Ruta del Cares - Refugio Vegarredonda via Lagos de Covadonga - Refugio Vegabaño - Posada de Valdeon.

Camino Lebaniego/Vadiniese:
Day 1: San Vicente to Lafuente (28km)
We were lucky to have a mostly clear day for the first day of walking. We ended up taking the old route for day 1, which was unfortunately all tarmac. However, it was significantly shorter which was important for us as we had a limited time frame for this trip. And we were happy to find that the old route was very well way marked with new looking red arrows the entire way. Of course, we missed the nicer river walk but for others looking to reduce km, it's a decent option. When you get to Hortigal, there is a large red arrow pointing left and this is how you avoid the longer, newer route. It joins the official again just before Cades.
We stayed in the Albergue Los Pulmares. It's a great little place and Marta was very welcoming. There was just one other pilgrim there that night so the three of us had our choice of beds. You can also pre-order dinner, which is a good idea as there are no bars or restaurants nearby. We also ordered breakfast and my friend was delighted to wake up to cake with candles on it for her - Marta noticed it was her birthday when checking us in

Day 2: Los Pulmares to Potes (28km)
This was a (mostly) great walk with wonderful mountain views! It was also great to get off roads for a good part of the day. However, the last 7km or so heading into Potes started to drag. We stayed at the municipal Albergue and it's a great place! Only 5 euros, loads of beds, big kitchen, washing machine free to use (but no soap) and a large dining room. All right in the centre of town. We ended up staying there again on the way back home after telling the hospitalera our full itinerary! She was very helpful.
I also highly recommend eating at La Soldreria! The back terrace is gorgeous and they have a good choice of vegetarian options that were delicious .

Day 3: Potes to Espinama
We started the day with the short walk to Santo Toribio and got our certificates. The office opens at 10am so we were able to enjoy a later start to the day.
So then we were now on the Vadiniese following yellow arrows instead of red. And it's another beautiful trail with mountains all around. We had a break in Cosgaya and then I'm not sure if the route has changed from here. The maps we were using had another 11km to go, with more elevation gain. However, at the bar we were told to stay down at the river for a much shorter, nicer walk into Espinama. We set off for this route and it turned out to have lots of arrows and markers for the Camino. So I'm not sure if this is now the official, but at any rate, it was a lovely approach into Espinama.

We stayed at Albergue Britz. It was just the 2 of us and were given a small room with private bathroom. It was pricier for an Albergue (24 euros each) but as we had a private room and use of a great kitchen in a separate outbuilding I'd say it was good value. There's a small supermarket in Espinama and a few bars though most were closed as folks were on vacation before the summer season.

Day 4: Espinama to Posada de Valdeon
Today was half on the Camino and such a lovely route! We left very late as there were storms in the morning and we were waiting for them to pass. Then we still were out in rain, but no more thunder and lightning. That lasted an hour or so and then we lucked out and the rain held off for the rest of the day. The Camino section of the day gave us gorgeous views on dirt roads. We could watch the cable cars going up/down at Fuente De. If you wanted to visit that, there's well signed trails off the Camino to get there.
While the Camino started down on the dirt road, we left it for a trail going higher and to get us farther into the Picos de Europa. It was a well marked trail (PR-15) and brought us up to about 1700m elevation where we had lunch at a mountain hut. It was then a great walk down to Posada de Valdeon.

Some pics of the route:

 

[WestKirsty]

I'm not sure if it's appropriate to post about the remainder of our trip as we were off the Camino but I wanted to share some options for those who want to spend more time in the Picos de Europa. It's probably my favourite part of Spain and I think it'd be worth making the most of your time there if you've got the time!

From Posada de Valdeon (small, touristy town but with a bar with a kitchen that is open all day and an Albergue and other accommodation options) you have relatively easy access to the Ruta del Cares. It's quite a famous route through a narrow canyon. It's very popular, and I understand why!

The route links Cain with Poncebos and is 12km one way. From Posada de Valdeon it is an easy, though very scenic, 9km to Cain where there are more bars, restaurants and a few accommodation options. It's a very cute mountain village!

So if you wanted to walk the Ruta del Cares, you could depart the Camino where we did after Espinama and stay in Posada. You could then walk to Cain and the Canyon in one day (21km...mostly flat). From Poncebos there are summer buses to other wonders of the Picos, including the Funicular de Bulnes. I haven't been as far as Poncebos but have heard nothing but good things. There appears to be some accommodation options in Poncebos or perhaps at one of the other towns on the summer tourist buses.

There's more information about the Ruta del Cares and other options here to give you an idea:

The Cares Route

Cabrales

www.turismoasturias.es

https://en.asturias.com/como-hacer-la-ruta-del-cares/

https://en.asturias.com/bulnes-funicular/

On our recent trip, we spent just a short time on the Ruta del Cares but it was spectacular!

 

[WestKirsty]

Anillo de Picos

This final post is another option for those who really want to maximize their time in the Picos. If it's not appropriate to post here, moderators, I can delete it with apologies!

This was a really amazing way to extend our mountain walking - 4 days on Caminos from the coast (described above) and 4 days up in the mountains. I should note, it is decidedly NOT a Camino but a mountain hike. The terrain is difficult, far more so than any Camino I have walked, and I would say only for those with hiking experience. But if you are a hiker and love the mountains, this is an amazing experience! It is well marked, though a GPS is must as we had poor visibility in some parts, and it isn't technical. However, some days have a lot of elevation gain in a short distance (our first day was 1000m up in only 3km) and some sections are rocky and very slow going. We had to go through a few snow patches as well and a few scrambles (hands needed!).

There are actually 3 options - the shorter Vindio route that we did (4 days, 3 nights) a 7-day Extreme route and a 9-day route that takes in the majority of the park.

There's even a credential for the route and you get stamps at every Refugio you stay in. The refugios are like albergues but more rustic. Having said that, I was surprised at how comfortable they were and the quality of the food! We had 3 course dinners and breakfasts every day. One had a great outdoor shower with mountain views! They vary in size - the ones we stayed in had 30-50 beds in bunks or lofts. They are crammed in there though so you're sleeping close to your bunk mates!

The 4-day Vindio route had 2 difficult days and 2 easier ones. It started on the Ruta del Cares (post above) and on day 2 went around the famous Lagos (Lakes) de Covadonga: https://www.spain.info/en/discover-spain/lakes-covadonga-asturias-practical-advice/

There's a bar here and taxi service if you need to get down from the mountains.

The third day was very difficult, but unbelievably beautiful. We were lucky with the weather, above the clouds at 2000+ metres elevation, under blue skies. I don't know that I've ever walked such a stunning trail - you work very hard, but I enjoyed every minute of it!

The last day back to Posada de Valdeon was short and easy.

We were really pleased with this 8-day itinerary! If we wanted to continue on the Vadiniese, we would have hiked back from Posada de Valdeon to where we departed the Camino days earlier and stayed in Portilla de la Reina.

This one was WOW!

 

[davejsy]

My favorite place in all of Spain is the Picos and surrounding areas.

 

[peregrina2000]

Oh how absolutely beautiful!

 

[cronnik]

Thank you for this information. I am planning on my ‘X’th Camino adventure for a week from now starting in Bilbao on the Norte to San Vincente where I am planning on doing the Vadiniense. While researching the route, I noticed the incredible Alpine views and the proliferation of other GR trails. The information that you’ve just provided has given me an idea to take a detour and maybe do a refugee hike in the middle of my Vadeniense hike. Then continue from Espinama towards Leon.
How many more days do you think a full circuit in the Picos would take?

 

[WestKirsty]

Thank you for this information. I am planning on my ‘X’th Camino adventure for a week from now starting in Bilbao on the Norte to San Vincente where I am planning on doing the Vadiniense. While researching the route, I noticed the incredible Alpine views and the proliferation of other GR trails. The information that you’ve just provided has given me an idea to take a detour and maybe do a refugee hike in the middle of my Vadeniense hike. Then continue from Espinama towards Leon.
How many more days do you think a full circuit in the Picos would take?

There are plenty of options in the Picos! It depends on what you're looking for. We used this website for ideas on 3 routes that are quite often advertised (4, 7 or 9 days): https://elanillodepicos.com/home/#:... context, the,fought against the Roman troops.

Booking the refuges in advance is a must, particularly over weekends. There are lots of hiking groups that fill them up. And of course, once you're up there your only other option is to camp, if you're prepared! On the website above you can reserve/ see when there are beds available.

This hiking is very different from Caminos - need a head for heights and experience in the mountains. I watched some videos before hand and there are a few sections on the 9 day route that were too much for me. Just a heads up!

If you're an experienced hiker, it's a mountain lovers paradise!

 

[cronnik]

There are plenty of options in the Picos! It depends on what you're looking for. We used this website for ideas on 3 routes that are quite often advertised (4, 7 or 9 days): https://elanillodepicos.com/home/#:~:text=The Ring of Peaks&text=Within a historical context, the,fought against the Roman troops.

Booking the refuges in advance is a must, particularly over weekends. There are lots of hiking groups that fill them up. And of course, once you're up there your only other option is to camp, if you're prepared! On the website above you can reserve/ see when there are beds available.

This hiking is very different from Caminos - need a head for heights and experience in the mountains. I watched some videos before hand and there are a few sections on the 9 day route that were too much for me. Just a heads up!

If you're an experienced hiker, it's a mountain lovers paradise!

I learned so much from your posts about the variety and breadth of options in the picos. Thanks to you I decided to make a one day excursion off the Camino at Fuente De and stay a night in a Refugio. I’m very much looking forward to it!! I love alpine living!!!