The Lakes of Covadonga

Lake Ercina

As you wind up the road from the Basilica at Covadonga the views are stunning but when you eventually reach the lakes at the end of this road the scenery is truly breathtaking. Here situated high in the Picos de Europa are two lakes the first you pass is Lake Enol and then a little further on you come to Lake Ercina. 

Lake Enol

The views as you arrive at the car park are amazing; in the fore front there are lush green pastures where cows graze peacefully as if they had no worries in their lives. Then there is the lake often with a few Malrads or Coots bobbing over the gentle ripples in the water. At the far end of the lake there are dramatic rock faces mottled with beech trees and behind that dramatic snow covered peaks rising high in the sky. In the spring and early summer the lakes are ablaze with wild flowers which stun the passer by as well as delight the botanists.

Lush green pastures touch the waters edge at Lake Ercina

It’s hardly surprising that the lakes of Covadonga are so popular with tourists and “the golden egg” for much of the tourist industry in the area. Although they have been visited by tourists for many years there was a time when “the lakes” were more important for farmers than tourists. When farmers talk about the lakes they often refer not just to the lakes themselves but to the whole of the western massif which surrounds the lakes with its many pastures in the lower flanks and its rocky landscape higher up.

Farmer huts at The Vega de Enol

Just beyond Lake Enol is the “Vega de Enol one of the major pastures in these mountains. Here there is “El Refugio de Los Pastores” or shepherds refuge as well as various stone huts where the farmers used to live during the summer months whilst their cattle grazed the mountain pastures. There would be whole families living in these different stone huts tending to their different animals and making cheese. When the snow started to come down then the families would descend to the villages in the lower valleys. There are now only four families which make cheese up around the lakes and only one who lives there permanently during the summer months.

A "Casin" or Asturian mountain cow, a common sight around the Lake

There was a time when mining was the most important industry around the lakes, more important than farming. The characteristics of the limestone rock means there are lots of different mineral deposits and mining probably started in the area even before Roman times. Iron and Manganese was mined at Buferra by the lakes from 1877 till 1933 by different foreign companies despite the area being declared Spain’s first national park in 1918. The very popular tourist bar at the edge of Lake Ercina was originally a shop and an eating house for the miners. It’s still possible to see parts of the old mines close to the National Park Interpretation Centre at Buferra.

Lake Ercina on a frosty morning

Today most tourists come to the Lakes of Covadonga just to take a few pictures not venturing far from the bar and car park. For others it’s a starting point for many different walks in the Picos ranging form a simple short circular walk around the two lakes to challenging ascents to some of the highest peaks in the western massif. What ever your reason for visiting the lakes your surely find them a unique and inspiring landscape.

Descriptions, maps and gps tracks for three walks; Circularwalk around the lakes, Vega Ario and Ascent of Jultayo, Ascent toMirador de Ordiales and Cotalba all starting from the lakes can be found on our walking blog walkingasturias At the hotel we can always give information on the suitability of the walks according to weather conditions and personal ability.

Breathtaking scenery at the Lakes of Covadonga waiting to be enjoyed

Enjoy The Farm

One of our horses on the farm wanting some fuss

 The 8 hectare organic farm which surrounds the hotel clings on the side of a small mountain with beautiful views.  We’ve always tried to run the farm as a commercial holding and although it doesn’t make much money it generates sufficient income to pay for its own maintenance.  We produce cider apples for juice and cider, keep sheep for breeding and meat, and produce fruit and vegetables for the hotel restaurant. 

New signs on the farm trail

But as well as being a “commercial enterprise” the farm is also there for guests to enjoy; to wander round and relax, learn about sustainable and traditional production techniques or just have contact with nature and sustainable food production. We have a farm trail which takes you round the farm and this season we have put up new signs and small information boards to help people enjoy the experience.

One of the hay meadows

Heart Flowered Serapias

There are about 1,5 Has of traditional hay meadows which at this time of year are stunning; a collage of color with so many different wild flowers (we’ve recorded over 350 species of flora on the farm.) With this diversity of flowers comes a huge variety of butterflies which are a joy to watch fluttering around in the sun.   

Marbled White butterfly

Our Xalda sheep

Then there are the black and white xalda sheep happily grazing under the apple trees and tending to their playful lambs. The higher meadows are rockier and reminiscent of a mountain farm, the lower meadows more sheltered with a small forest and stream. Whilst walking around you may also come across our two Asturcon ponies which help with the grazing and pasture maintenance

Observing the flowers from the path

Although we want guests to enjoy themselves as much as possible on the farm we also ask them to collaborate and help make it easier for us to manage the farm.  For example we cut small paths through our wild flower meadows for guests to walk along and we ask guests to keep to these paths. This is because we cut the meadows by hand and if the grass is trampled on it’s very much more difficult to cut. With our flock of xalda sheep we have a white and black sheep dog which is there to protect the sheep and their lambs from predators (mainly foxes.) If guests start to fuss the dog she will start to abandon the sheep to come to look for fuss so we ask guests to ignore the dog.

The chickens waiting for some left overs!

We do have other animals on the farm which guests can fuss; such as the chickens which follow you every where hoping to be fed some leftovers, and then there are the cats which certainly love having their tummies tickled. Of the two horses you can stroke one of them whilst the other is a little more cautious of people, but a care is needed as they are both still half wild!

Guests investigating the vegetable garden

Funnily enough the most visited place on the farm is the vegetable garden and I suppose this reflects the growing interest in home grown vegetables.  In the vegetable garden we practice a bed system with a 4 year rotation, we do as little digging as possible and mulch as much as possible. The results are there to be seen in the vegetable garden as well as to be tasted in the restaurant. Come and enjoy the farm

Information on composting

Cuevas del Mar or Sea Caves

The beach at Cuevas del Mar

Cuevas del Mar or Sea Caves, what a name for a beach and with all its strange rock formations you can understand where the name has come from.  There is a range of caves, arches and broken cliffs around this beach and along the headland and these are the result of the waves continually bashing against the limestone  rock.

The cliff tops around Cuevas del Mar

This part of the Asturian coast line is sometimes referred to as the coast of the Picos de Europa because this is where the pure limestone that forms the geological unit of the Picos meets the sea.  In the high mountains the acid rain cuts through the limestone rock forming deep gorges and an underground network of pot holes. However at the coast its water in the form of waves which work from below beating up through the limestone rock forming all sorts of features. In some places the waves eventually break through to the rock surface making blow holes which roar like dragons as the waves swell under the cuttings in the rock. At high tide spectacular spurts of water can be seen shooting out from these blow holes.

Impressive blow hole on the head land near Cuevas del Mar

But the Sea Caves beach also has soft sands and although waves have beaten amazing features in the rocks the beach is fairly protected from the stronger currents of the Bay of Biscay and is generally safe for swimming.  In the summer months the beach is often frequented by families with children who play care free in the sand.

The sandy cove of  San Antonio close to Cuevas del Mar

There is a lovely short circular walk starting from the beach, it takes about one hour and goes along the cliff tops with stunning views along the coastline and towards the Picos The walk also passes two smaller sandy beaches the first can only be reached by boat but the second; San Antonio is easily accessible and this is another idyllic spot to stop rest and may be have a swim.  

Part of the circular walk around Cuevas del Mar

More information on the circular walk around Cuevas del Mar can be found on our walking blog www.walkingasturias.com

The origins of the paths in the Picos de Europa

There is no doubt that the walking in the Picos de Europa and Asturias is lovely, with so many different paths and tracks to choose from but have you ever thought about the origin or history of these paths? The reason the inhabitants of this area built these paths can probably fall into four different categories; farming, hydroelectricity, mining and tourism. Farming and how it has adapted to make the most of this mountainous region has given rise to most of the paths and tracks.

 A farmer moving his cattle to the high summer pastures

A type of transhumance is practised in this area where the animals are kept in the lower valleys during the winter months and then when the snow melts from the mountains the animals would be moved up to the high pastures for the summer months. This movement of the cattle is what has given origin to so many of the paths and tracks in the area. Some of these high mountain pastures are in areas of difficult access where long winding tracks are needed so that the cattle can reach these pastures. Sometimes different types of “sedos” or passes” would be built to help the animals over come a difficult point in the track. Normally these tracks where the cattle passed are quite easy to walk on.

 Walking up to a high mountain pasture at Ozania

The farmers traditionally spent many months living with the animals in the high mountain settlements and often if the access for the animals was via a long winding path the farmers looked for quicker shorter ways to reach neighbouring settlements. This gave rise to some of the more dramatic “sedos” or passes where nerves of steel are needed to cross them as can be seen in the photos below.

 A "sedo" or built pass to help overcome a difficult part in the path (Culiembro)

Nerves of steel are needed whilst crossing some of these "sedos!"

Although farming has given rise to most of the paths in the Picos , the development of infrastructures along with their maintenance has also produced some spectacular paths and tracks. The path along the Carres gorge is the most famous and popular of all the routes in the Picos and this path was built to maintain a canal which brought water to the hydroelectric station in Poncebosfrom Cain. 

 The path along the Cares Gorge

But there are other hydroelectric stations in the Picos with canals and tracks which also give rise to spectacular routes such as the Jocica dam, the River Casaño or the Canal de Reñinuevo.  This last canal along with the path for its maintenance, all be it very spectacular, is extremely dangerous in parts and should not be attempted light-heartedly.

 The path down to the Jocica dam

A part of the path along the Canal de Reñinuevo

A part of the maintenance path for the Canal de Reñinuevo

The infrastructures associated with mining (which took place in the first half of the 20^th century) gave rise to many tracks particularly in the Eastern massif of the Picos where there is a maize of tracks.

 A maize of mining tracks in the Eastern Massiff of the Picos

Finally there are the paths which have developed purely for tourists such as the one at the top of the cable car at Fuente De or the stone path between the two lakes of Covadonga or the paths which give access to the mountains refuges.

 Tourist path in winter at the top of the cable car in Fuente Dé

Path to the refuge at Jou de Cabrones

What ever the origin of the tracks and path in the Picos de Europa what is for certain is they give excellent possibilities for walkers though adequate care must always be taken as this can be a very abrupt and hostile terrain with a very changeable weather.

 A cow enjoying a marked path!

Fruit from the Farm

Over the 16 years we’ve lived in Asturias we have planted many different types of fruit on our farm, some have been more successful than others. 

Harvesting our cider apples in the autumn

Without doubt the most important has been the 7 acre extensive cider apple orchard which we planted in the winter of 1996. We now harvest about 10 tons of apples year and they go to make apple juice, some of which we serve in the hotel.  Our flock of xalda sheep grazes under the apple orchard and this mixed extensive production system has been reasonably successful and has since been copied by other small farmers in the area. 

Delicious black cherries

 

In the early years we also wanted to plant some ornamental trees around the farm but we were reluctant to plant non indigenous specie. Wild cherries abound in Asturias so we decided to plant some grafted cherry trees around the farm. As well as producing delicious fruit they have lovely blossom which delights the countryside in April and then in late summer they produce gorgeous autumn colour. The trees are now growing well although it can be a challenge to harvest the fruit before the birds eat them.

 Abundant harvests of raspberries

 

 Blackcurrants

 Physalis or cape gooseberries

It was about eight years ago when we decided we wanted more home grown fresh organic produce for the restaurant and that’s when we planted a large variety of different fruit to see what would grow well. Most of our soft fruit has been very successful and we now have abundant crops of raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, black currants and physalis (cape gooseberries) all of which are used to make no end of delicious desserts. Gooseberries, redcurrants and blueberries were unsuccessful and were grubbed after 3 years of trials. The gooseberries and redcurrants were continually defoliated by saw fly and the blueberries always looked a sickly yellow colour as the soil is not acid enough for them. 

Strawberries

.....and strawberry desserts

Of the tree fruit we planted at that time, the persimmons have been very successful as have the plums. The pears and Asiatic pears have done quite well and we also harvest a few meddlers from our slow growing meddler tree. We have however had no harvest from the loquat, peach of fig trees we planted; maybe we are just too impatient.

 Plum blossom

In recent years we are having big problems with voles in the apple orchard. These horrible creatures which are a huge problem in the whole of Northern Spain live under the ground eating amongst other things the roots of apple trees which they seem to love. With damaged or no roots the trees soon fall over and die. We have now lost about 25% of our apple trees and so have started to look for other trees (which have less appetizing roots for voles) to plant in the orchard. We have planted trials of kiwis and “kiwinos,” time will tell if these will crop well on our farm and survive the voles.  We have also planted a small plantation of hazelnuts to see if they will be affected by the voles. We started planting different varieties of hazelnuts several years ago and they crop well on our farm. 

 Kiwi trial

 Large fruited hazelnuts from the farm

So as time goes on, with certain ups and downs and a continual learning process, we are producing more and more fruit on the farm.

Pasture Maintenance

At this time of year many of our pastures and meadows are starting to burst into flower. The photo above shows the mass of spring squills flowering in the hotel meadow at the moment. The pastures don’t look after themselves though. If we didn’t maintain our pasture it would start to revert to forest, which for us would initially mean brambles, accompanied by other species which our livestock find unpalatable. Our pastures are grazed by sheep, horses and chickens, and some are cut for hay but they also require human intervention to maintain them.

Sheep grazing the hotel meadow in autumn.

Horses helping maintain the pastures.

There are three main reasons for pasture maintenance on our farm. They are; to provide our animals with food, to conserve natural biodiversity and to control vegetation in the orchards. Each of these three reasons has a different maintenance approach, and combinations are also possible

Hay harvest; preparing animal food for the winter

When a pasture has been grazed, the plants that are left untouched are the ones that the livestock won’t eat, such as brambles, nettles, bracken, thistles, and gorse. If these are left unchecked they can take over, gradually eroding the edibility and therefore usefulness of the pasture, which can result in the pasture being lost. It’s a vicious circle. This is where the maintenance comes in, removing the unpalatable (undesirable) species so that the palatable (desirable) species can grow. Removal of undesirable species can be done by hand or machine, depending on the species and the extent of the problem

Sheep grazing in the Cuevona Meadow

Three areas of our farm are managed particularly to maintain natural biodiversity, in particular of wildflowers, with the secondary objective of providing food for the sheep. Here the pasture maintenance follows traditional practices and cycles; we cut the meadow for hay in late June and then let the animals graze the re-growth in early winter. Many species of flora have adapted to these traditional practices and respecting these traditional cycles allows this diversity of flora flourishes.

Full Beauty of biodivesity in the Castañarina Meadow

The chief objective for the three orchards is to produce a commercial apple crop, and the secondary objective is to provide grazing for our sheep. Luckily these go hand in hand, with the sheep eating the vegetation beneath the trees, thus making our task of collecting the apples a lot easier.

Picking apples where the grass has been grazed

If your interested in pasture maintenance you will find a document in the how and why section of our web page where it discusses pasture maintenance in more depth.

Our horses enjoying the pastures.

(Blog entry originally posted in April 2010)