Somiedo Natural Park, in Asturias, is a real paradise for mountain and nature lovers. It is said that this is one of the few places in Spain where we can still watch unspoiled landscapes. In this article, I talk about Somiedo National Park and I show you some hikes for enjoying its nature.

1. Hikes in Somiedo Natural Park

The best way to enjoy landscape and nature in Somiedo Natural Park is doing a hike. Here you have two options of different difficulty:

1.1 Accessible path in Pola de Somiedo

Starting in Pola de Somiedo, you can do a hiking that is accessible for people with limited mobility and vision problems. The hike goes through a wide dirt road with almost any slope. Along the way, there are several spots with a bench or a table where you can rest. Furthermore, the path is protected by a wooden fence, where there are some information panels with Braille text.

The hike is around 4 km round trip. It is very soft, but it is beautiful nonetheless. Landscapes are amazing so, if you are staying in Pola de Somiedo and have a spare moment, I recommend you this hike.

1.2 Hike in Saliencia Lakes

Saliencia Lakes or Lagos de Saliencia are one of the highlights of Somiedo Natural Park. Here you can do several hikes, depending on how long do you want it to be and how steep are you willing to climb. For example, you can do an 8-kilometer hike in Lagos de Saliencia, or doing a longer hike that reaches Lago del Valle.

We did a mix of both options, and I really liked the outcome. We started in Alto de la Farrapona, where there is a big car park, but which soon becomes full. From there, we started the hike of Lagos de Saliendo, but once we had seen the first three lakes, we continued walking to Lago del Valle.

Nevertheless, once we reached a spot where we had to descend to Lago del Valle, we stopped there, at some meters to the left, from where we had amazing views of the lake and its surroundings. While we had lunch there, we even spotted two chamois.

After that, we started our way back at the same place and, once we reached again Lagos de Saliencia, we go round Lago Negro. In total, we walked 14 km and around 600 m of slope. This Wikiloc track is pretty similar to the route we did.

2. Places to see in Somiedo Natural Park

Among the places to see in Somiedo to discover both its nature and its cultural heritage, are these places:

2.1 Mirador del Príncipe

Mirador del Príncipe (Prince’s Viewpoint), located at an altitude of 1373 m, is one of the best spots to enjoy the view of this natural park without having to walk too much. To reach it, you have to drive to La Peral Car park, near the parroquia or village of La Peral.

From there, walking through the village, you have to walk around 700 meters and climbing a slope of 55 meters. The access to the viewpoint is signposted, and the final part is a narrow uphill trail.

2.2 Pola de Somiedo

Pola de Somiedo is the capital town of concejo de Somiedo. It has 220 inhabitants and is one of the main starting points for visitors. Apart from the adapted trail, in Pola de Somiedo you can visit the Centre of Interpretation of Somiedo Natural Park (free entry) and the House of the Bear or Casa del Oso (€4), managed by the Cantabrian Brown Bear Foundation.

Apart from this, some nice spots in Pola de Somiedo are the church of San Pedro and the small stoned bridge that cross the river Somiedo. Furthermore, taking a walk behind the school, you can reach a place with nice views to the river, and around all the town there are flocks of sheep, grazing cows and calves, etc.

2.3 Brañas and teitos

Somiedo Natural Park is declared Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. Among the different aspects that are valued for that, it is the integration of human activity with its environment. The most important sample of it are brañas and teitos.

Brañas are places where cows graze, while teitos are green roof constructions which among its main uses was housing. Along Somiedo Natural Park, you can see several teitos. Some of the most outstanding are Braña de Pornacal, Braña de Mumián and Braña de Sousas.

2.4 La Malva Hydroelectric Power Station

Another place to see in Somiedo, just 3 km from Pola de Somiedo, is La Malva Hydroelectric Power Stations, built in 1913, so it is a centenary place. Apart from watching its exterior, it is possible to visit it. For that, you have to fill in a form with at least three days in advance, and you must receive a confirmation.

3. What to do in Somiedo Natural Park

Apart from doing some hikes, there are other things to do in Somiedo Natural Park:

3.1 Sighting of Cantabrian brown bears

Somiedo Natural Park is the place in Iberian Peninsula where more Cantabrian brown bears live in the wild. Lovers of this specie come from various places with their telescopes with the hope of being able to spot them. However, it is pretty complicated doing it on your own.

That’s why there are some companies that organise sighting of brown bears. This activity makes it much more likely to spot them (even though, of course, it can’t be 100% sure). We were able to see it for ourselves, as we did not hire this activity and, being next to one of these groups, they saw a few bears and cubs, while with our binoculars for beginners it was impossible for us to spot them.

If you decide to try it on your own, don’t leave marked places such as footpaths or viewpoint, and always respect flora and fauna. Remember that bears are wild animals with a lot of strength and speed and, furthermore, that the Cantabrian brown bear is an endangered species.

3.2 Snowshoeing

If you are travelling to Somiedo in a season where there is still snow, you can discover its nature by going snowshoeing with a guide. Normally, this activity has a duration of 4.5 hours, and it costs €25 if you don’t need equipment or €35 with equipment included.

4. Where to sleep in Somiedo

Towns inside Somiedo are pretty disseminated and are, in general, very small. The main town is Pola de Somiedo, where there are several hotels, a small grocery store, bars, etc. Also, it is a good starting point to see the different places I’ve talked to you about.

We stayed here, in Hotel Casa Miño. Our bedroom was pretty wide and we had a great rest. Also, the hotel has a kind of shared living room with a small kitchen where you can use the fridge, having a coffee or relaxing by the fireplace (that, at least when we were in April, it was lighted every night).

I hope you found this article with information about hikes, what to do and what to see in Somiedo Natural Park useful. For me, this place in Asturias is a real paradise for mountain lovers, and I’m looking forward to coming back soon.

Pictures are from my travel blog in Spanish, Meraviglia, so I own the rights to them.