This is one of a collection of roundtour routes starting and ending at the biker friendly Hotel Ayre Alfonso II in the popular city of Oviedo. Oviedo is one of Spain's historical treasure troves, home to several UNESCO World Heritage sites that hail from the Kingdom of Asturias. At the heart of the city is the medieval old town where you can find most of these landmarks. Oviedo is a great base to tour the mountains and the Asturian coast.
This route heads east to the popular biker paradise of Picos de Europa National Park. A short section of motorway and then the N-634 which has plenty of curves to keep you happy will have you in the Picos in one hour. The town of Cangas de Onís greets you with it's magnificent Roman bridge and offers your first of many photo opportunities and coffee stops. The route circumnavigates the national park from here and you will return here after about 200 kms (4-5 hrs) of the most memorable scenery.
Take the N-625 from Cangas, possibly the most scenic road in the Picos. Follow the River Sella against it's flow and feel the road becoming more twisty and the river valley turning into a gorge. There's an restaurant for another coffee stop at the start of the Beyos Gorge (Desfiladero de los Beyos in Spanish). The Beyos Gorge is a deep and narrow 12 km long river canyon through which the waters of the Sella River flow. Whoever drives along this exceptional road will surely share the famous words of the French scientist and mountaineer Paul Labrouche and eternalised on the stone plaque that can be seen on the other side of the bridge at this restaurant, it reads:
“The Sella gorge is the steepest and most imposing of the famous gorges. Pierre Lys et Saint-Georges, in the Aude Pyrenees, the Fier, in Savoy and the Via Mala, in the Grisons. The Chiffa, in the Atlas, the Crack of Khakoueta, in the Soude valley, and the Calle del Infierno, in the Lys, can only give, in a very small way, the image of the fantastic notch in which the Castilian engineers managed to make a road pass." I think those words say far more than I can, suffice to say; the Desfiladero de los Beyos is a truly remarkable road.
There's a viewpoint at the other end of the gorge called Mirador de Oseja de Sajambre, I strongly advise you to stop here for more photos.
Next is a famous climb that cyclists like to collect, the Puerto del Pontón, featured many times in the Vuelta a España. A short ride from here takes you to the sparkling waters of the Riano Reservoir. The construction of the reservoir began in 1965, although certain social and political circumstances delayed its opening until late 80. A great place to stop for photos is at Riano. On a still day the mountain backdrop is reflected perfectly in the blue water.
The road number changes to the N-621 as you head in a north east direction. The tight and twisty nature of the gorge road has been exchanged for an equally twisty but more open road that is a joy to ride. 29 kms later and you'll climb to the highest point of this route, Puerto de San Glorio at 1609m. You can take a left turn here and climb even higher to the Collado de Llesba mountain pass and see the monument to the Cantabrian Brown Bear at 1675m. The Collado de Llesba is a place frequented by many visitors because of the exceptional viewpoint towards the eastern and central massifs of the Picos de Europa.
Next is perhaps the most photographed viewpoint of the San Glorio Pass and features in many publications advertising the Picos. It the very cute Roe Deer on the hairpin bend known as Mirador del Corzo. There's plenty of safe space to park for your own photo.
The next 23 kms is a mixture of landscapes, that include mountain roads with steep drop offs, a shallow gorge, woody areas and alpine pastures all on a twisty road with several hairpin bends - sounds like heaven doesn't it! This is why the Picos de Europa is popular.
My suggestion for a lunch stop is at Potes.
Potes is one of the most attractive villages in Cantabria. The village is in the centre of the historic Liébana region, an area that is surrounded by spectacular mountains, with running streams and rivers. Its old quarter has the Property of Cultural Interest designation. It streets have many bridges, as well as buildings and monuments with centuries of history. Make sure you sample the village cuisine, with dishes such as cocido lebaniego (chickpea casserole) and game stews. There are also many shops selling Picos de Europa souvenirs but I'm sure that your memories will serve as a reminder of this beautiful area.
After lunch the route travels through another deep gorge, this time carved out by the River Deva and known as the Herminda Gorge. A pull-in at the side of the road offers a safe place to stop for a photo. There is a walk from here called the Ruta de las Agüeras that offers some great views of the gorge. It takes about 3-4 hours.
The small hamlet of Panes is where you'll leave the N-621 and join the AS-114 as you head back towards Cangas de Onis.
The AS-114 is not a challenging road but the scenery is still beautiful.
When you reach Cangas de Onis, take a left opposite the plaza then two more to bring you to the motorcycle parking. Here you can have your photo taken on the Fred Flintstone motorcycle. It weighs 2,500 kilos and is made of two mill wheels and river stones, with a solid steel chassis. The inscription on the plinth of the motorcycle reads: Aqui Comienza Todo Un Paraiso De Curvas which translates as: Here begins a whole paradise of curves!
The idea behind it was to welcome the thousands of bikers that enjoy this area with a hope that they will stop for a photo then enjoy a coffee in the plaza. I urge you to do this before heading back to Oviedo, about 1 hour away.
Enjoy