How to Hike to the Lagos de Saliencia, Somiedo

Where are the Lagos de Saliencia?

The Lagos de Saliencia are located in the north of Spain, in the region of Asturias. The lakes are part of the Somiedo Natural Park, at the very south of Asturias, next to the border with the Castile and León region.

Click on the image to open in Google Maps

They are very close to another lake in Somiedo, the Lago del Valle. The 4 alpine lakes are all in the same area, and you can hike to all 4 in the same day. The perfect destination for any Northern Spain road trip!

Lagos de Saliencia or Lagos de Somiedo?

If you do any research about the Lagos de Saliencia, you’ll see a lot of references to the Lagos de Somiedo.

Is it the same thing? No, it’s not.

Los Lagos de Saliencia are made of 3 mountain lakes:

• Lago de la Cueva
• Lago de Calabazosa
• Lago Cerveiriz

Right next to the Lagos de Saliencia there is another bigger lake, the Lago del Valle.

Los Lagos de Somiedo are made of the Lagos de Saliencia + the Lago del Valle.

Hiking to the Lagos Somiedo

As we saw above, you can choose to see only the Lagos de Saliencia, or also see the Lago del Valle. There are also 2 different places to start the hike.

There are 3 main ways to experience the Lagos de Saliencia:

1. hike from Alto de la Farrapona to Lagos de Saliencia
2. hike from Alto de la Farrapona to Lagos de Somiedo
3. hike from Valle del Lago to Lagos de Somiedo

I’ve put together a little table for you to quickly see the 3 different hikes available, with where they start, what you’ll see & how long it will take.

Here it is:

PS: If you’re on mobile you can scroll left & right on the table to see all of the info

Now that you have a better overview of the different hikes you can do to see the Lagos de Saliencia, let’s actually see each one in more details!

1. Hike the Ruta Lagos de Saliencia

The first hike is the Ruta Lagos de Saliencia, the hike from Alto de la Farrapona to the Lagos Saliencia.

Here’s the profil of the hike:

Hike Ruta Lagos Saliencia

You will start the hike from the parking lot Alto la Farrapona, and go on a loop around the 3 Saliencia Lakes. It’s a great hike to see all 3 lakes, and the least you’ll have to walk to reach the lakes.

You’ll find below the map of the hike:

You can download the GPX file by clicking on the image above if you want to use in your GPS app/smartwatch.

2. Hike the Ruta Lagos de Somiedo

The second hike is the Ruta Lagos de Somiedo, the hike from Alto de la Farrapona to the Lagos de Somiedo (Saliencia Lakes + Lago del Valle).

Here’s the profil of the hike:

Hike Ruta de los Lagos Somiedo

Just like the first hike, you will start in the Alto de la Farrapona parking lot. On this hike though, you’ll see the Lagos de Saliencia AND the Lago del Valle. The Ruta de los Lagos de Somiedo will take you on a full loop around all 4 lakes.

The hike is tough for several reasons: it’s rather long, and there is a big elevation change as you climb up & down the mountains around the lakes. You’ll need to plan the full day for this one.

You’ll find below the map of the hike:

You can download the GPX file by clicking on the image above if you want to use in your GPS app/smartwatch.

3. Hike to Lagos de Somiedo from Valle de Lago

The third hike is the hike from Valle de Lago to the Lagos de Somiedo (Lago del Valle + Lagos de Saliencia). This is the hike I did.

Here’s the profil of the hike:

Hike Ruta Valle del Lago

It’s the longest hike of the 3, and you’ll need to be used to hiking to trek from Valle del Lago to the Saliencia Lakes & back.

You’ll start on a low incline from the valley to the Lago del Valle, the first lake you’ll see. Enjoy your time at the lake, but don’t linger too much there because you’ll still have a long way to go to cross the mountain to reach the Lagos de Saliencia. Keep reading below to see my experience on this hike, with photos!

You’ll find below the map of the hike:

You can download the GPX file by clicking on the image above if you want to use in your GPS app/smartwatch.

Where Should You Start the Hike?

Still not sure from where you should start the hike to the Lagos de Saliencia? Don’t worry I’ve got you covered:

Start in Valle de Lago if:

• you’re ready for a tough day-hike
• your hotel is in Valle de Lago

Start in la Farrapona if: 

• you only want to see the Lagos de Saliencia
• you don’t want to hike too much
• your hotel is in Saliencia

I hope this helps you make up your mind about where to start the hike!

Exploring the Lagos Saliencia

After exploring the Lagos de Covadonga, which I absolutely loved, it was time to explore another set of beautiful lakes, the Lagos de Saliencia.

Reaching Lago del Valle

My friend Laurent and I begun our hike from Valle de Lago, which is closer to the Lago de Valle than the Lagos de Saliencia.

The first part of our hike was thus all about getting close to the Lago de Valle, and you can read more about the first part of the hike here: Hiking from Valle de Lago to Lago de Valle.

Crossing over to the Saliencia Lakes

The second part of the hike starts after we’ve climbed above the Lago del Valle to get a good view of the lake.

We’re now starting to climb even higher, to go over the mountains separating the Lago del Valle and the Lagos de Saliencia.

It’s definitely a longer hike than the regular one, but it allowed us to have both a good view over the Lago del Valle, and to go to the Saliencia lakes after.

So after getting to the top, or at least what we thought was the top, we discovered another mountain behind the one we just climbed. Bummer.

But hey, we were in to see the lakes!

So we kept climbing up, knowing from the map that eventually we would get over the mountains, and start the way down to the lakes.

Discovering the first Saliencia Lake: Lago Cerveiriz

And sure enough, after going up the last peak, we got out on a wide open space, where we could see the first of the 3 lagos Somiedo Natural Park holds: the Lago Cerveiriz.

The Lago Cerveiriz is the smallest of the 3 Lagos de Saliencia, but it feels pretty big when you’re standing in front. We went all the way down to the lake, and I spent some time walking around the lake, and taking photos of the local cows chilling in the area.

Can you see all the wind on the water?

Lago de Calabazosa

After spending quite some time around the first lake, I then moved to the second lake, the Lago de Calabazosa. It’s the biggest of the 3 lakes, but it’s also where I spent the less time.

To be honest, at that point I had lost my friend Laurent. We were supposed to meet back at a flag after having explored different parts of the area, but I spent too much time at the first lake and missed the meeting time. And of course, we had no signal there.

So I spent around 30 minutes running around, going up & down, trying to find him. The little I saw of the 2nd lake was when I was looking for him, and obviously didn’t have time to go down and see more of the lake.

I finally chose to go back to the meeting point and wait for him there – which is exactly where I found him, luckily.

The Lago de la Cueva, Somiedo

After finding Laurent, we hiked together to the third and last of the Lagos de Saliencia, Asturias: the Lago de la Cueva.

It was the most beautiful of the 3 lakes, and looked absolutely incredible from the top, with the blue -almost turquoise- water, and the yellow & orange surroundings.

Sadly it was getting quite late, and as much as we wanted to hike down to the water level, we didn’t have enough time and we had to head back to our hotel in Valle de Lago before dark.

You can see on this photo how deep the Lago de la Cueva is compared to the other 2

Well in the end, we still got late.

Why?

Because I crashed my drone in the mountains, and I spent 30 minutes looking for it. But hey, I FOUND IT!

Yep that’s the face of pure happiness right there

Going back to Valle de Lago

And finally, after having hiked the Ruta de los Lagos de Saliencia, seen the 3 lakes, and crashed my drone, it was time to head back to our home for the night.

As we got back up over the mountain in between the Saliencia lakes and the Lago del Valle, the sun was getting low, casting that sweet soft light, creating a wonderful view of the valley.

Simply layers of mountains under soft light, with cows in the foreground, our friends during the hike.

And then, as we got lower in the valley, the view opened up to the Valle de Lago, with the small mountain village and the pointy mountain behind it, under spectacular light rays. Truly one of my favorite moment from this hike-if not the whole trip.

You’ll find below a few photos from the rest of the hike back to the hotel, following the local guides and watching the sky turn to a warm fiery glow.

Our local guides leading the way

The end of a beautiful hike

So there you have it, my adventure to the Saliencia Lakes in Somiedo Natural Park! It was definitely one of my favorite spots in Asturias, along with the Ruta del Cares.

How to Get to los Lagos de Saliencia Asturias

If you’re planning to go to Somiedo, I highly recommend renting a car (or using your own). There is a way to get there by bus, but it involves a lot of walking as the bus system is not very developed in this part of Asturias.

Get to Lago del Valle by Car

As we saw above, you can get to the lake from 2 different sides. Let’s see how to get to each one by car:

Drive to Valle de Lago Somiedo

After entering the Somiedo Natural Park, you’ll drive on mountain roads until you reach the town of Valle de Lago. Here is the estimated driving time from nearby cities:

• From Gijón: 1h50
• From León: 2h
• From Poncebos in Picos de Europa: 3h

Once you get to Valle de Lago, keep driving straight through the city, heading south east. You will drive past the Hotel Somiedo, then reach the first parking lot: Aparcamiento Valle del Lago.

Don’t stop there, keep driving to the next part of the village; right after the houses you will reach another space where you can park your car. Here is the location: parking Valle del Lago. This is the closest you can get to the lakes, and the perfect place to start your hike!

If the second one is full, simply drive back to the first one. It’s only a 10 minutes walk between both parkings, so don’t sweat it.

Drive to Alto de la Farrapona

If you want to tackle the hike from the Alto de la Farrapona (or simply if you booked your hotel in Saliencia), you’ll reach the start of the hike in less time:

• From Saliencia: 15mn
• From Gijón: 1h35
• From León: 1h30
• From Poncebos in Picos de Europa: 3h

Once you reach the Aparcamiento Alto la Farrapona (parking lot), just park your car & you’re ready to start the hike to the lake from there!

Get to Lago del Valle by Bus

If you don’t have a car, you can still reach the Lago de Valle, but it will be a tad more difficult.

You can take the bus to Urria, which is the farthest you will be able to go with the bus.

Go to Moovit Asturias, enter “Parking Valle del Lago” as your destination, & choose your starting point.

Once you’re in Urria, you’ll need to walk 1h before reaching the start of the hike in Valle de Lago.

Tips for Hiking the Ruta de los Lagos de Saliencia, Asturias

If you’ve gotten this far, chances are pretty high that you are seriously considering hiking the Ruta del Valle del Lago, Asturias.

You’ll find below a few tips to help you plan your hike, and to make sure you have the best experience you can while you’re out there:

• if you’re going in winter, there will probably be a lot of snow in the area
• if there is snow, I strongly suggest you go & return to the lake on the round trip path “camino del sol“; the one way track “camino de la sombra” is pretty tough to hike on with the snow. You’ll see the signs along the way
• you’ll find a drinking water source right above the cabin in front of the Lago del Valle
• pack at least 2L of water per person & snacks to fuel your body throughout the hike
• the cows, sheeps and goats are friendly but they remain wild animals; don’t bother them
• pack warmer clothes in your bag as the weather quickly changes in this area

Where to Stay in Lagos de Saliencia, Somiedo

Ready to explore Somiedo? Here are my top choices of hotels for you:

Best Hotel in Valle de Lago – Hotel Rural Somiedo

 

The Hotel Somiedo is where I stayed when exploring Somiedo

I stayed in this hotel when I was in Asturias; the location is perfect, right next to the start of the hike.

What I loved the most was how kind the hosts were; a really helpful couple, who helped me plan my hike, gave me tips and even put together a lunch for me to take away in the morning.

Check for Best Price

 

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Best Budget Hostel – Albergue de Saliencia

 

The Albergue de Saliencia is the best choice for budget travelers

The Albergue de Saliencia is the perfect place to stay if you’re planning to hike to the Saliencia Lakes.

It’s also the best budget hostel, perfect for backpackers. For 18€ you’ll get a room for the night and a nice breakfast in the morning.

Check for Best Price

 

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Best Hotel for Couples – Pension Rural Casa Cesareo

 

Best option for a cheap & comfy stay

If you have a car and if you’re travelling with someone else, the Pensio Rural Casa Cesareo is the best choice for you.

Located a bit further from the lake in Pola de Somiedo, you’ll get a family room with 2 twin beds for very cheap!

Check for Best Price

 

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Visit Spain

Planning a trip to Asturias and Spain? You can find below several other articles about this wonderful part of the world to help you plan your trip:

Asturias Guides:

Looking for even more epic hikes? Here are my 10 Favorite Hikes in Picos de Europa and 21 Best Hikes in Asturias

Want a change from the still water of the lakes? Go see the Massive Geysers Bufones de Pria

Chill in the gorgeous coastal town of Ribadesella

Spain Guides:

The 36 Best Castles in Spain

Best Daytrips from Madrid

Discover Toledo, the City of 3 Cultures

I hope you enjoy your trip to Asturias and to Spain!

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below, I always reply.