Spain's Sendero Historico: The GR1. John Hayes

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      Peña Espigüete from the southeast (from Stage 1.4)

      In terms of landscape the first stage of the walk is one of the best. The route crosses the southern flank of the Cantabrian Mountains, skirts the Picos de Europa and passes through two protected areas: the Regional Park of the Picos de Europa and the Natural Park of Fuentes Carrionas and Fuente Cobre-Montaña Palentina. It’s a stunning limestone landscape and includes a number of summits over 2500m high. The star of the show is Peña Espiguete, passed on Stage 3. Although it’s not the biggest mountain (at 2150m) it is the most admired and the one that attracts the climbers. It has an almost perfect shape, stands slightly apart from the rest of the Cantabrian Mountains, and dominates the scenery for most of the section.

      Although the scenery is dramatic the trail is easy and the waymarking excellent. The GR1 is supported by the Castilla y León regional government and there are signs and information boards from the Puerto de Tarna through to Brañosera where the route crosses into Cantabria. It is, however, remote: services are few and far between and accommodation, particularly at the western end, is sparse. For this section booking in advance is essential if only to check that the accommodation is open.

      From a historical perspective and compared with the others, Section 1 is perhaps less interesting but the landscape and natural habitat provide a ready compensation. Although you’re unlikely to see one of the resident Cantabrian brown bears you will see the Cantabrian Chamois, possibly otters and wild cats, and definitely vultures, particularly the huge Griffon vulture.

      Access and Accommodation

      The best way to get to the start of the route – Puerto de Tarna – is by bus from Oviedo. Oviedo is a lovely city particularly famous for its pre-Romanesque buildings the best of which – Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo – are located just out of town. These both featured in the Woody Allen film Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Allen’s praise of the place means he is now a local hero and honoured with a city centre statue. The easiest way to get to Oviedo for international travellers is via Asturias airport or, a bit further away, Santander. Alternatively you can fly to Madrid and catch a train.

      Reinosa is much less interesting than Oviedo and, for most travellers, would not justify an extended stay. It is, however, particularly well connected: to Santander (a bus every hour); to Bilbao and León one bus each way a day; and Madrid (two trains a day). If you are continuing on the GR1 from here, you could easily press on to Corconte (the start of the second section) by bus when you finish walking Stage 6.

      SECTION 1: KEY INFORMATION

STAGE 1

      Puerto de Tarna to Salamon

      An excellent first day, great scenery, long with a pass to climb over in the middle but not a tough walk. There is a bar in Manaña but it doesn’t provide food. If you want a shorter first day than there is accommodation at Manaña.

      Puerto de Tarna is a pass that sits on the regional boundary between Asturias and Castilla y León. On the right-hand side of the road at the pass is an information board about the Regional Park of the Picos de Europa (easily confused with the National Park of the Picos de Europa which is located immediately to the northeast and contains the main part of the Picos de Europa range). The highest mountain in the Picos, Torre Cerredo (2648m), is about 6km from the pass as the crow flies.

      Although there is a restaurant it is not always open and not to be relied on.

      Follow a path for 600 metres heading directly south from the pass on the right-hand side of the valley, parallel to a road on the left-hand side, and descend for 600 metres across open moorland to the unoccupied hamlet СКАЧАТЬ