The path to the Santa Marina Chapel

The stream running by the path

A couple of years after buying the hotel and farm we realized there was an old stone track at the bottom of the farm running parallel to the “Rio Chico” or small river. At that stage it was totally overgrown but from the road on the other side of the river we could just about make out the course of the track along the edge of the rocky outcrop. After some exploration and a lot of fighting with gorse and brambles we realized this track was most probably the original track which led from the church beneath the hotel to the village of Bodes passing by the small isolated chapel of Santa Marina.

The isolated chapel of Santa Marina

Because of the importance of the track we asked the town hall if they would help clean it or if there was some type of grant to help us restore this track. The answer was no, so we decided to clean the track ourselves.  With the help of a neighbor “Tito” we set forth clearing the gorse and brambles, quite a mammoth job.  As the job progressed we were amazed to see just how well constructed this track was, particularly in the initial section where the track runs high above the river.  There are carefully placed cut stones providing a secure edge and with a width of about 3 meters it was obvious that this track used to be used by horses and carts. Along the route we also discovered three ruined water mills but these are now mostly lost in the undergrowth.

Cut stones on the edge of the track.

The track by the side of the stream

After a few hard weeks work we had cleaned the track all the way to the path which joins the hamlets of Andeyes and Bodes by the small chapel of Santa Marina.  

Canches one of our neighbours in front of her house in Andeyes

Views from the hamlet of Andeyes

It was a lot of work, but what a reward; a superb footpath starting from the hotel running through beautiful woodland scenery along the side of a very attractive stream. For much of the route you feel as though you are lost in a fairytale landscape. As well as being a nice easy circular walk from the hotel to Andeyes and the chapel, this path also allowed us to offer our guests a route to the Sueve Mountains and Mirador del Fito without having to go along any major road. 

The recently cleared track passing though a small wood

Sign back to the hotel along the walk

The track does require some maintenance as very few farm animals graze it, so once or twice a year we pass along the path with a pair of secateurs or the strimmer. Having said that, just recently a lone goat has decided to make the path her home. It’s also nice to see that as well as our guests a local occasionally enjoys the walk along the path.  

The goat who has decided to make the path her home

Here you can find more information on the circular walk from the hotel to the Santa Marina Chapel  including maps and  GPS tracks.  Happy walking.

Hay harvest 2012; 5 days of intense work

Stacking hay in the Hotel Wild Flower Meadow

Last week we cut, dried and bailed both of our hay meadows in 5 days of intense work. As you are dependent on good weather for drying the hay it is necessary to cut it when you think there is going to be a period of good weather for drying, with no risk of rain which may spoil the hay. This means there is often a lot of hay to be cut in a short period of time, or put another way a lot of hard work when it is normally very hot. We also have the added inconvenience that many parts of the farm are not accessible with machinery so we have to cut by hand and then rake this hay to areas which are accessible to machines. Cutting by hand takes longer so that’s even more work. There is a local saying ;“La hierba no sabe ni siesta o fiesta” which translates as hay doesn’t know parties or naps and means when its hay time you have just got to get on and do it

Cutting the lower part of the Castañarina meadow with an alum scythe

Cutting in between the rocks in the top part of the Castañarina meadow

The hotel meadow is the smaller meadow we manage for flora and here we cut the hay by hand and once the hay has dried we take the hay from this meadow to the Castañarina for bailing. The Castañarina is the largest part of the farm that we manage specifically for flora and fauna diversity. It is divided into two parts; the lower part which is accessible to machinery where we cut the hay with an alum scythe and the upper part which is rockier, where we have to cut the meadow by hand. Once the grass has been cut it is left to dry and turned a few times and then all the grass from the upper part is racked down to the lower part. 

Racking the grass into long strips

Baled hay

Next the dried grass is raked into long strips ready for the tractor to bale it. Nino from the next village bales our straw. He works about 18 hours a day when straw has to be baled as all the small farmers want their hay baled at the same time, that is when the hay is dry and before any chance of rain. After the hay has all been baled Juanra our neighbor came with his small tractor and helped take all the bales to our stable ready for the winter. It’s a lovely feeling when all the hay is in the stable and the hardest job on the farm has come to an end for another year. 

Bales of hay on their way to the stable and a sigh of relief for another year

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!