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Lakes of Covadonga

Description

The Lakes of Covadonga are two glacial lakes at the centre of the Picos de Europa National Park. Lake Enol covers about 10ha whereas Lake Ercina is about 8ha and very shallow (only 2m in depth) - They are set 600m apart at an elevation of about 1,100m. The spot is popular with hikers and generally outdoor enthusiasts in the summer and since the 1980s it often features as the Queen stage of the La Vuelta cycling race (the other candidate being Alto de l'Angliru)

Access & Transport

The lakes are in the western Asturias part of the Picos de Europa NP, 90km / 1h30mins drive from Oviedo and only slightly more from Gijón. There is a car park and visitors centre on site BUT in the summer/high season, private car access is restricted and there is a bus system (park and ride) at a cost of €9/3.5 (+2€ for parking, at the time of this review). The parkings are just before the sanctuary.

Instructions & Recommendations

If you plan on hiking, make sure to bring enough water with you. This activity can easily be combined with the Sanctuary of Covadonga, which drivers will pass 20mins before reaching the lakes.

Meta review

A tale of two experiences for this site that is extremely popular and a well-known landscape in the country: there is the incredible setting that many people are happy to casually explore and enjoy during a picnic and there is the disorganized and time-consuming bus ride up to the lakes during the high season. Hence, opinions diverge as to whether it is worth the time investment and those who woke up early are clearly those with the best experience.

Environmental & Social

Green activity. Tourism brings some revenues to the villages in the valley

Conclusion

Fans of mountain landscapes visiting Asturias should definitely make the drive there but, in high season, you may be better off exploring another area of Picos de Europa; there are other stunning landscapes, less crowd, and better hiking opportunities.

Key positive

Gorgeous and photogenic scenery

Can be enjoyed without hiking

Key negative

Busy and logistically time consuming between July and Sept.

Suitability

Family-friendly and partially accessible for visitors with reduced mobility (road gets close to the lakes)

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

August 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit
The seasonality reflects the expected weather and ground conditions; the site is open year-round

av. transport time:1h 30m

est. visit time:3h 30m

Sunlight based

Sunrise / early morningOk

MorningOk

Lunch timeOk

AfternoonOk

Sunset / eveningOk

Night – bef. midnightNo

Night – aft. midnightNo

Pricing
Free

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